In the parking lot of my local market, there’s a space that sits directly across from the store’s entrance. It’s a rock star parking space; the kind you tend to get an ego boost from when you’re lucky enough to snag it.

The weird thing is, it’s almost always empty. It’s in an odd spot, at the very end of a row of spaces. I once asked a security guard if it was an actual space. He confirmed that indeed, it is a useable space.

I ponder that space. Why does it sit there empty? Why will people drive right by it searching for another available space. Does it seem too good to be true? Is it off-putting because of its odd location and positioning?

Of course this has become a metaphor to me. What opportunities do we miss that are right in front of us? Are we too narrowly focused on our preconceived ideas of what we want and need to notice other options?

Whereas most of my life, I have had strong impulses prompting me to take a certain action, since the demise of my marriage, nothing has felt “right”. Empty spaces abound. These empty spaces represent possibilities for successes and failures. They can be segues or vortexes. They can be promising or frightening. And of course, they can be overlooked entirely.

When I go to the market now, I park in that space. And I take a moment to question, how am I doing with the unknowns in my life? Am I staying open and receptive and going with the flow even if it is uncomfortable or scary? Am I ready and willing to allow good things to come into my life and to have the self-esteem to embrace them?

Usually, a parking space is just a parking space. But, this empty one has inspired a fair amount of introspection.