day 15: a metered life

You’re the prince to my ballerina
You feed other people’s parking meters
You encourage the eating of ice cream
You would somersault in sand with me

You talk to loners, you ask how’s your week
You give love to all and give love to me
You’re obsessed with hiding the sticks and stones
When I feel the unknown
You feel like home, you feel like home

You put my feet back on the ground
Did you know you brought me around
You were sweet and you were sound
You saved me

You’re the warmth in my summer breeze
You’re the ivory to my ebony keys
You would share your last jelly bean
You would somersault in sand with me

- “somersault” / zero 7 ft. sia

mission:

• feed other people’s parking meters

i always thought this song was so adorable :)  and every time i think of feeding other people’s parking meters i think of it.  what’s awesomer (yeah, i said it) is that there are at least 4 acts of kindness in this song alone.  it should be the blog theme song!  ahahahha.  nah, but i think i like changing it up and adding some music on here.  my personal blog which i update every millenium was basically just a bunch of music postings, because i’d always find myself too lazy to write anything of consequence.  but i’d always have a song that i liked or a song that told how i felt to share.

so during my 12+ hour expedition yesterday, i found myself running all over town.  usually i’m at a parking meter past their running hours and i don’t need to pay.  but yesterday, one quarter for 5-10 minutes =/.

first spot: polk street near aspect framing and gallery.  i slipped a few in my own meter and then realized i was running short.  to my luck i parked right next to a laundromat that had a quarter machine.  odds?  so i took out probably $6, $7 worth of quarters and dumped em in my wallet.  pulled out my minicard dispenser and aaaaooowwww.  slipped in a couple quarters for the car in front of me…crossed the street to the gallery side and slipped some into another meter.  i left minicards under the windshield wipers.  their meters weren’t expired, but i figured a few extra minutes wouldn’t hurt anybody.

second spot: 7th ave right across the street from cheap pete’s framing.  almost every meter was expired.  i found myself a bit confused.  maybe they don’t ticket there?  i filled one meter and then started heading towards the store.  i hesitated.  i looked back, at the store, then back at the red flashing “expired” banners of guilt.  i didn’t have many quarters left, so i put one quarter each into the meter of a few cars.

lovely.  maybe i helped people, maybe by the time they got to their cars the meter was expired again :D  anyhow, i had fun finding minicards with appropriate sayings.  i had a bright red “donate blood” one that i stuck on a bright red car.  it amused me how they matched.  then i found another one that said “pay for the person behind you at the drive thru.”  i was proud of finding one with car-relevant messaging.  if anything, i amuse myself, right?

it was interesting, though.  i’m not used to being regulated by a meter.  i tend to be relatively leisurely with my time when i’m out.  or rather, take my time making decisions if i’m making a considered purchase.  it felt weird to be rushed.  maybe it made me more efficient?   or just made me waste more money on the meter?  i just realized how the meter is almost a systemic symbol of our highly-regulated (in ways i don’t think we even realize), go-go-go lifestyle and society.  streamlined.  making exhorbitant amounts of money to park on city streets that we pay for.  maybe it’s to induce quicker turnover so everyone can get to high traffic areas.

it’s just interesting to be on a clock.  sometimes our society is so caught up in living 10 steps ahead instead of living exactly where they are.  i plead guilty.  have to be here to get there.  ain’t no teleporting…yet.

where are we going?  we are right here.