Why I Park On Top of Parking Decks

When I was a kid, we went to the hospital a lot. My mom had some health issues, and on these hospital visits my dad would take me, my brother, and my sister to the top of the parking deck to run around and look out and otherwise pass the time. It’s not something you’d think would be magical — a parking deck — but for whatever reason, it was. And it still is.

To this day, I enjoy the tops of parking decks. And I park at the top of them all the time — much to the dismay of my closest friends and loved ones.

“Ugh, you’re not taking us all the way to the top are you?”

“It takes so long to get up there!”

“It takes so long to come down from there!”

I kindly tell them that if they want to drive their vehicle to the less illustrious lower levels, go right ahead. But if I’m the one behind the wheel, it’s never even a thought: I’m driving all the way to the top.

It’s no secret I love heights. The mountains, the verandas, and yes, the tops of parking decks. It reminds me of childhood, and it fuels me with whimsy. Especially in a city like Asheville, cupped by mountains on all sides. I’ve taken many-a-Couchsurfer to the top of the largest parking deck downtown for the best view you can get in the city. It’s one of my “things,” I guess you could say.

I like having things.

Selfishly, I want people to remember their visit with me. I don’t want them to leave without any distinguishable memories from our time spent together.

You can go out to eat or grab coffee or talk in a living room with anybody. But who’s gonna drive you to the top of a parking deck when there are 7 whole levels full of available parking below?

Yeah, I get the annoyed comments from the ones who know and love me best. I can take it.

I do enjoy whirling around and around with the strangers and less frequented friends, though. They always jive with what I’m doing. They’re down for some whimsy.

And if I can convert just one fellow whimsy-lover to take his or her own visitors to the top of a parking deck, it’ll all be worth it.

A photo posted by Thomas Mark Zuniga (@thomasmarkz) on Nov 7, 2016 at 2:31pm PST

This is Day 7 of #MakeNovemberTolerable. Keep checking back every day this month for new stories and discoveries of beauty where beauty may be hard to find.