In the morning, I regularly stop at a gas station for a paper, coffee or maybe a snack. The station bustles with activity as people come and go. As is customary, lines are painted on the pavement to direct the traffic flow and ensure efficient parking. However, yesterday when I pulled in, someone had parked an SUV across four parking spaces. Other hurried drivers had left their cars haphazardly in the lot, causing an obstacle course for patrons as they entered and exited.
On the way home later that day, I stopped at a drug store to pick up a prescription and noticed some construction at the intersection just beyond the store. A long line of drivers impatient with the inevitable delay was snaking its way through the parking lot to avoid the slowdown at the corner. I watched as several people struggled to park their cars while pedestrians had difficulty negotiating a path through the line of vehicles to enter the pharmacy. I
was reminded that parking spots, lanes of travel and traffic rules have been generated so that all of us can move more smoothly. And, when one or more of us break these rules, we make it difficult for others. While following the established patterns may momentarily slow us down, it promotes greater speed for the majority.
A CHAMP’s world consists chiefly of others.
