(Originally posted on the website Continuum…)

Going to work… again…..

But I got to thinking…

For the past 25 years, I have worked in the same general area, an average of 30 miles from the area in which I have lived.

So, figuring that I have worked an average of 250 days per year for 25 years, and driven an average of 60 miles round trip per day, the grand total of miles I have driven in the last 25 years (just for work) comes out to 375,000 miles!

Figuring on a reasonable average of 30 miles per gallon for gas mileage on my vehicles over the years, I have consumed 12,500 gallons of gas in driving to and from work. That translates into a lot of money!

If I had kept driving straight for those 375,000 miles, I could have driven completely around the world just over 15 times! Just think of all the sights I could have seen and the people I could have met!

If I had decided to drive to the moon, I could have made it there and just about 3/4 of the way back! With enough velocity, I could have coasted the last 55,000 or so miles.

Or… I could have driven to the moon and encircled the entire place 15 times and then just sat down and enjoyed the view.

If I had decided to drive to Mars, at the rate of 375,000 miles every 25 years, it would have taken me 9,333 and 1/4 years. Provided my car could have lasted over the journey and I had another 25 years to live and drive, I could have then traveled completely around Mars 28 and 1/4 times.

However… necessity demands that I continue driving the same worn out path to and from work… over and over… year after year.

Necessity is the executioner of so much exploration and discovery.