Five Work Commutes
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 10:03AM 
Image of Trinity Bomb from Discover Magazine.
Index: Biking to work exercises the body. But more than that: It sharpens the mind with small, rapid-fire problems. Which lane? Watch out lady. Take the sidewalk? Cut this block. How do I get there? Turn when you can. Rocking. Wet crotch. Clock in. We're #1.
Middle: Driving a car is similar, I guess, but sterile and with few possibilities, usually dwindling to two paths: the route you always take and the "alternative." Use your blinker. Wait your turn. Follow the bumper in front of you. Flip off the one behind you.
Ring: Working from home isn't really a commute, but your mind goes somewhere in search bigger answers. These answers are dear to you, and you teleport them willingly. However, you're removed from the process. You aren't told. You never get dressed. You worry. You hit send. You've got nowhere to go, and then, before you get there, you're in the pumpkin shell again.
Pinky: If you take the bus to work, you shouldn't think too much. You should bring a book and pretend to read it. You should sit back and relax. Spectate. Don't let on that you're listening through your headphones. Breathe deep the human freshness in the morning, its weariness in the afternoon, and its powerless expectation that things will hold forever to schedule.
Thumb: Walking to work is almost golden, second only to hitchhiking.
Image of Trinity Bomb Spectators with Protective VIP Ski Goggles from California Literary Review.