Life Without
a Drive Through Lane
This morning
I was reading an article on the web called “10 habits you should pick up from
your grandmother”. It got me thinking about my grandma and how different life
is for me than it was for her.
But I also was thinking about the fact that she
never learned how to drive. She walked everywhere she went. We lived in a small
little town so things were pretty accessible by foot. She was a school
cafeteria cook and walked every day to work and then walked across town to our
home so she could babysit me after school. Friends and family would always give
her a ride if she needed one but for the most part, she walked. Kind of Dutch…
she didn’t ride a bike but yep she was outside living life.
Well, for
the past few months I’ve been in the States. My oldest little one was getting married
so I was busy being the MOB (mother of the bride).
With all the little details
and busy busy work, I slipped quickly back into my American ways. Let’s see… I
need to get some candle holders (hmmmmmm I’d love a cold drink from Sonic!
You
know.. I’m all about the ice, ‘bout the ice, ~ No treble!) Hey Mom.. where are we going to
lunch today?
Well… we’re busy.. better go to
some place quick.
Besides being insanely unhealthy to dine out all the
time, it’s expensive. The convenience factor is so over the top in America and
yet so hard to pass up as you drive past. The blaring lights beckoning you from
the roads to pull over to their restaurant or they pump the smell of something
yummy into the air so as you drive past you smell French fries or bread! When
we weren’t driving thru, we were parking really close. Oh and the parking is
free (usually).
Living in
The Netherlands is quite different. First of all, the amount of bikers here is
just shocking.
The Dutch are like the US postal service unofficial motto… "Neither
snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the
swift completion of their appointed rounds." - Herodotus, 503 B.C.
(Inscribed on the General Post Office facility on 33rd Street and 8th Avenue in
New York City.) (Source: USPS).
The Dutch bike through all weather. And if they’re not bike…
they’re walking. If you are driving past any normal village, city or town
during lunch hour you will see tons of people walking around enjoying their
sandwich
or whatever while they go for a walk. Just a great excuse to get out
in the air and hopefully a little sun. Most of the Dutch that I know bring
their lunch to work with them from home. It’s cost effective and fast to eat
which gives them more time to walk around outside or get work done earlier so
they can get home to be with their families. This is just a great way to live.
I
mean if you’re bloated down with your McDonald’s lunch or
Life Without a Drive Through Lane
Taco Bell delight you’ll
be overly stuffed and have a hard afternoon being productive for your company.
I remember being a small child and walking home from school to have lunch at
home. The meal or sandwich was prepared and eaten. Then there was plenty of
extra time to take a small nap or even play outside before walking back to school.
There should be more of this in adulthood… even the nap. Even if it’s a ten
minute recharge.
When we do
dine out in the city.. There is rarely a drive through. Sure there’s a McDonald’s
but not our idea of a fun Friday night. So we drive to the centrum, pay to park
and then have to walk several blocks to the restaurant.
Walking back to the car
at the end of the night is definitely a great way to burn off those calories
after a meal. And those people that live closer to the centrum will usually
bike into the centrum for dinner. You get to park your bike for free and much,
much closer to the restaurant.
Living life
without a drive through…. Sounds like a move in the right direction.
