Jonas Doerr – Opinions Columnist
Life could be better if we stepped on sidewalk cracks. It’s a common superstition that if a person steps on the crack between two sidewalk slabs, something bad will happen. Many people don’t even believe the superstition, but still avoid stepping on the cracks anyways. Yet they are missing out on a multitude of opportunities to step up their game.
As a child, I would shy away from metal grates and manhole covers. I knew that they could support me, but still worried about how far down it was and what would happen if I did plummet through? How would I ever get out if that happened? I would shudder and walk in a wide circle around the grates.
Cracks were the same thing. I wouldn’t go far if I fell through a sidewalk, but imagine what monsters might live in those crevices! Far better to avoid them entirely.
I’m no longer afraid of grates, but I still avoid stepping on the cracks between sidewalk slabs. There’s something soothingly rhythmic about timing one’s steps perfectly – two on this slab, one on this slab, two, one, two, one. The cadence varies with leg length and slab size, but the habit stays the same.
It also provides my idle mind something to do while strolling. Instead of making awkward eye contact from half a football field away with other walkers, I can focus on the architecture at my feet. Gorgeous granite, rapturous rocks, spectacular cement – I could be a walkway art critic.
And when no one else is around, the real excitement begins. One foot per tile, the new rules go. I turn into the campus ballerina, leaping and tip-toeing from slab slab.
Perhaps you have had a similar experience.
Yet life would be far better if we stepped on those cracks instead. First of all, avoiding sidewalk cracks slows down your walking speed. If a person is trying to fit their steps within a certain area, then they cannot use their maximum stride length. And walking slower will make a person that much later to all of their classes, stealing essential time that would otherwise be spent buddying up with professors or frolicking with friends before class.
Even worse, one might end up being late to class because they weren’t walking fast enough. No professor is going to accept as an excuse, “I was just trying to avoid stepping on the sidewalk cracks!” They might even think the late attendee is slightly cracked.
It also can cause a logjam of walkers. It takes a great deal of courage to try to stride past a slow walker, and Minnesotans aren’t likely to attempt such an aggressive maneuver. As a result, it is more likely that someone slowing down their pace to avoid cracks will create a scene on campus reminiscent of LA traffic.
The focus on avoiding small environmental crevices could also lead to relational strife. If one is staring at the ground (or at a cellphone), it is possible that they might not notice one of their friends walking by. This will indubitably cause conflict when the friend says hi and is ignored. Tears, anger, or brawling will almost certainly occur.
Being more present towards one’s surroundings might also provide other safety benefits. Golf carts frequently cruise around campus, and it would be terrible if a student was obliterated because they were too busy looking at the ground. It’s hard enough to avoid golf carts as it is, let alone while staring at the sidewalk.
And stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk has greater metaphorical implications, as well. When you stomp on that puny crack, you conquer one of your fears. Instead of dancing away from your worries, you face them head on and squash them beneath your Air Jordans.
Once you have conquered this fear you can move on to others. You can finally say hi to the person next to you in class. You can try rolling down the hill by the Gustavus sign. You could even try taking on one of those golf carts.
By stepping on those cracks, you are also symbolically defeating your old habits. This is the first step in your new journey in creating new routines. You can start going to bed earlier, checking your phone less, and finding something other than chicken tenders to eat for dinner. This one move cracks the door open to a new you.
Most underestimate the importance of sidewalk-crack-stomping. We could save seconds every day, increase our safety, and open up a whole new walk of life. But don’t start stepping on all of them all at once. You will, pun intended, want to pace yourself.