Walking to Work

So once again I am at a gig at a hotel and conference center that are on the same property but they are not attached to each other.  This happens every now and then.  When it does happen I am always amused, puzzled, and frustrated by what happens.  As long as the weather isn't awful I ALWAYS walk to the gig from my hotel room.  Sometimes this walk is as much as 20 minutes, sometimes only about ten.  In the case of this show site its 11 minutes.  I timed it yesterday at a relaxed walking pace as I was curious.  So if most people walk a mile in 15 minutes ish lets say its 2/3 of a mile.  We are currently in Boca Raton, Florida.  Its 70 degrees out and sunny.  The weather has been lovely since we got here.  Most of us are from places that are very cold this time of year, and certainly not 70 degrees.  And yet every morning out of a crew of 20-30 guys I find myself being one of a very small group of people that walk to the gig and back.  Some days I do this trip multiple times!  GASP!!! 

This morning as I started my walk I saw several crew members getting in cars to drive over to the gig (seriously!!!) and several others waiting for the hotel shuttle bus to take them to the gig.  I'd say out of the 30 guys on this gig theres only one or two who perhaps can't or shouldn't do the walk for some reason such as they need their car to be close by or are carrying too much stuff or other reasons.  I don't get it...   have we really become that lazy?  I find it rather saddening....   maybe as it just reminds me of where I came from. 

If I had to describe the typical male that does what I do it would be 25-45 years old, gut from mild to outrageous with most being in the middle, and couldn't jog a quarter mile without stopping.  I was one of those guys with the gut in catering piling on fatty hotel catering food onto my plate.  I never thought anything of it.  Five years ago I might have gotten in a car to drive to this gig instead of walking it.  So maybe I understand.  The truth is the thought of walking simply just wouldn't have occured to me when another option was available.

So maybe this isn't about me thinking about why they don't walk...  its me wishing I could wake them up to how much better I feel now that I've gotten into shape and started to live a much healthier lifestyle.  I wish I could sell its virtues and convince more people to take the leap.  I don't think I'm doing a very good job of selling it though.  Most guys just see that I don't go out drinking all night anymore after work and see me coming back in from a workout early in the morning as they are heading out to find breakfast.  So they just see me as the goody two shoes early to bed crazy workout guy who eats energy bars and bananas, and handfulls of almonds and peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches he makes in his hotel room to avoid eating catering.  Now I should note that they are all very supportive and encouraging generally...   but I don't think I'm selling anyone on the lifestyle.  People have actually said to me "I'm glad your all healthy now and everything but you were a lot more fun when you would come out drinking with us"  Its sad when I hear things like that.  That to be "fun" you have to go out all night and drink.  I'm still the same person I was back then I just go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier.

I guess this is a bit of a rambling post that isn't really going anywhere.  I guess I just wish more people would walk to work with me.  And that the guys that can't see their feet would start wondering what they look like.