2013-12-05 – Who owns that space in front of your car? No one when the car is stopped. In fact, the space often goes away. But turn on the car and the space grows. Did you ever notice?

I don’t have a title to that space like I have title to my car. There is no deed. But you defend the space with your life. It is your territory and no one is allowed in. Even if it makes sense to let someone in—say when you are stopped in the middle of an intersection and a car wants to cross. It takes an act of will to let them in. Defending your space is a reflex action.

The thing about the space in front of your car is that it’s constantly moving. You’re defending some space, but it’s never the same space twice. (Well, you might return to space you defended before on your daily commute, but you know what I mean.) How is it that we think that we can own a space that is constantly changing? It seems nonsensical, yet we do it instinctively.

It’s like political debate (especially if you are a Republican). It doesn’t matter what space you are defending, just as long as no one cuts in front of you.