Love trumps everything

I did something last week that I haven’t done in a long time.

I paid for parking in downtown Olympia.

I know, I said I’d never pay to park in Olympia, and yet, love seemed to trump that remark.

I asked my wife where she wanted to go to lunch on her birthday and she said she wanted to eat at a specific restaurant in downtown Olympia. When we were first married, we used to eat at this restaurant just about every week, she wanted to do it again. It had been years since we had done so.

I suggested that we do dinner, that way I wouldn’t have to pay for parking. But, she insisted we do lunch, and so we did.

I found a spot, right in front. It was lunch hour but there were plenty of parking spots. The one right in front of the restaurant seemed to be the best choice.

But, there were no parking meters. Then I remembered those “parking stations” somewhere in the middle of the block. I found it pretty easily but operating it was something else again.

I could barely read the screen and when I determined that I needed a dollar and a half for the lunch hour, I also discovered that the machine wouldn’t take a dollar bill. It would only take change or a credit card. I was determined that I wouldn’t use a card to pay for parking. It was then that a friendly shopper stopped by to show me how to operate the machine and to give me change.

It was now starting to rain, and he stepped back under an awning while I fumbled around and finally got my permit.

It was my first experience with the parking stations and my first experience in paying for parking in downtown Olympia. But, I was doing it for love.

The meal wasn’t as good as we remembered and we probably won’t eat at that restaurant again.

But I had the opportunity to contribute to the city’s significant revenue stream.

If I had my way, I’d only come to downtown Olympia after 5 p.m. or on the weekends, when parking is free. But sometimes, you have to sacrifice your beliefs for something higher – love.