Justin has written a few posts about the importance of getting outside; one titled “Encroachment” and the other “The Set Aside“. This post follows up, but takes the idea in a slightly different direction.
I realize the title of this post may be heresy, but hear me out. The other day I was in a building that houses several people I needed to talk to for a few seconds each. “Aha!” one might say, “Use email, it’s a great tool for that.” Those people would be right, but in adhering to my “Appropriate Use Policy” I used a different technology, the stairs.
I walked up one flight and dropped in on someone to update them. Since they were on the phone, I left a post-it note with my message. While not ideal, it shows I took the time to drop by. Though admittedly not the most efficient way to contact someone, it builds social capital, something that we’ve failed to cultivate.
Next I walked up 5 flights to follow up on an email chain that had languished for some time. Breathing more heavily than I care to admit (hey, it’s a mile high) I entered another office. In less than two minutes I got an answer to my question, put a face with a name (or more accurately an email address) and got some exercise.
My answer to the efficiency issue is “It’s People!” I’ve used this line before, but not in the way originally intended. Just because it is less efficient (in terms of time) to walk up and down a few flights of stairs and wait for someone who is on the phone, does not mean it is a waste of energy. On the contrary, making the human connection is essential to furthering the goals of sustainability. Ultimately, if we do not realize that we are beholden to one another, then there is little to no incentive to live sustainably.
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