I Should Have Parked Closer To the Exit

Yesterday afternoon I stopped at Lowe's to pick up some batteries and a replacement ballast. At the Raymore Lowe's one enters the parking lot from the side of the store, driving past the nursery and live goods first and then towards the main entrance doors. There are two sets of doors at this particular store. The first set are the entrance doors and then farther down there is a set of exit doors. And it always seems like the two sets of doors are miles apart. As I scanned the lot to find a parking space I noticed that there were several great and close spaces available near the exit doors. But parking in them meant walking the distance back to the entrance doors. The parking spaces in front of the entrance doors were closer to the doors but were farther into the lot.

I was in a hurry, so I picked the space closest to the entrance door. I mean, I really needed to get in there quickly. Really, I did. I was in a hurry after all.

A few minutes later, while standing in the checkout line, I heard the rain begin to ping on the metal roof overhead. The pinging turned into a roar as the rain fell harder and harder. I had no umbrella, no rain coat, and no time to wait for the rain shower to pass. I paid for my batteries and ballast, walked out the exit doors, and realized that my car was parked in front of the entrance doors- a mile or so away!

Then the thought hit me: I should have parked closer to the exit. I didn't. I chose the option that was the quickest and easiest at the time. I got really wet.

In his bestselling book, Stephen Covey shares that one of the seven habits of highly successful people is that they plan and act with the end in mind. They might say to themselves, "The clouds are pretty dark. Even though it is not raining now, it might start before I complete my shopping. Maybe I should park closer to the exit doors and take the long walk now instead of later."

So I wonder- when will I learn? Will Olivia graduate from high school, drive off to college and leave me thinking, "I should have parked closer to the exit." Will I arrive at the end of my life, facing some incurable disease and think, "I should have parked closer to the exit."

I have some learning to do.