When walking beats scrolling: how I discovered a local pipe organ shop

During a recent oil change and vehicle service appointment, I faced the choice of whether to read on my phone or go for a walk. Since I'm attempting to maintain a calorie deficit, I decided to go for a walk.

The shop was located in my home town, right on main street. I'd driven up and down that road 1,000 times. So as I walked, I took my route a block or two south of the main drag. This was an older neighborhood. A mixture of dilapidated homes from the 1940's, some builds from the 1960's, and a smattering of remodels and rebuilt homes from more recent times.

I found yards in various states, from professionally landscaped to, well, what my yard would look like if I had one and didn't hire a professional to care for it. Even the less cared for yards possessed a certain Boo Radley charm.

Then, from behind a wall of trees emerged an old church. The lawn was meticulously kept, and a water fountain trickled in the shade. I noticed a plaque and stepped closer to take a look. Turns out I'd be reading after all, even though I'd decided on a walk.

Incredible! A pipe organ manufacturer. Right in my home town. A block south of a path I'd traveled countless times. And I had no idea. A little internet searching led me to the website of Bigelow & Co Organ Builders and this video tour of the building.

Not every walk results in such a majestic discovery. Lots of times, walks are boring. While your phone can transport you anywhere in digital space or your imagination, a walk can move you through physical space. A walk puts sun on your skin, fresh air in your lungs, and, I like to think, increases the randomness in your life.

I love pipe organs. It's fun to imagine whether my life would have turned out any differently if I knew my home town was also home to a pipe organ manufacturer. Would I have tried to intern there? Become an apprentice? Would I be designing organs instead of answering emails?

Probably not.