My deepest gratitude for your responses...
from RS:
When I lived in San Francisco in the Seventies, I had no car so I walked everywhere. If I wanted to see a movie at an art theater near the ocean beach, I had to walk over the hip of Mt. Davidson and three miles afterward to get there. It was then I learned (or rather felt) the gift of walking. After the first mile or so, the mind stops being just the mind, the body stops being just the body, and the landscape you walk through is no longer out there. All are in motion. All become more than they were separately. It is not a sentimental attachment--when you're climbing those hills it can't be--but it is an affirmation that your life is more, and perhaps less, than you, and that both of those things, the more and the less, have great meaning.
When I lived in San Francisco in the Seventies, I had no car so I walked everywhere. If I wanted to see a movie at an art theater near the ocean beach, I had to walk over the hip of Mt. Davidson and three miles afterward to get there. It was then I learned (or rather felt) the gift of walking. After the first mile or so, the mind stops being just the mind, the body stops being just the body, and the landscape you walk through is no longer out there. All are in motion. All become more than they were separately. It is not a sentimental attachment--when you're climbing those hills it can't be--but it is an affirmation that your life is more, and perhaps less, than you, and that both of those things, the more and the less, have great meaning.
from CF:
I have to say I used to hate to walk until a friend walked with me for the first 1.5 years...I thought it slow and laborious and boring. It took a while to begin to slow my mind and appreciate the experience. It has become a way to get out of myself...get out of my head...to clear my thoughts..gain some perspective...and of course, exercise. Because I am in a creative process most of the day, sometimes I need to step away and gain some perspective.
I appreciate creation at a more intimate level than even bike riding affords. I can pray, I can work abs, I can work on my waltz stride, all the while noticing the intricacies and beauty of nature. At the end of a walk my body and mind both feel refreshed. The senses have been awakened and heightened by the smells, sounds and even the feel of rocks, turf, or blacktop beneath the foot. Feet have so many pressure points...how could walking not engage these points?
I have to say I used to hate to walk until a friend walked with me for the first 1.5 years...I thought it slow and laborious and boring. It took a while to begin to slow my mind and appreciate the experience. It has become a way to get out of myself...get out of my head...to clear my thoughts..gain some perspective...and of course, exercise. Because I am in a creative process most of the day, sometimes I need to step away and gain some perspective.
I appreciate creation at a more intimate level than even bike riding affords. I can pray, I can work abs, I can work on my waltz stride, all the while noticing the intricacies and beauty of nature. At the end of a walk my body and mind both feel refreshed. The senses have been awakened and heightened by the smells, sounds and even the feel of rocks, turf, or blacktop beneath the foot. Feet have so many pressure points...how could walking not engage these points?
from ND:
In recent years I have started "trip walking". Roger and I started this new adventure a few years ago with our own "Bed and Breakfast Walk" on Vancouver Island. We started near Buchard Gardens and over four days walked to Nanaimo (approximately 100 km). For the most part we traveled the Old Island Highway and found most towns about 20 km apart -- a perfect daily walk. We stayed in a motel one night, a beautiful B & B the next. We stopped in to a "garage sale" at an elementary school in one small town. Since then we have walked the Rob Roy Trail in Scotland (126 km) in 2010. Two weeks from now we are off to Spain to walk in the White Mountains (southern Spain).
In recent years I have started "trip walking". Roger and I started this new adventure a few years ago with our own "Bed and Breakfast Walk" on Vancouver Island. We started near Buchard Gardens and over four days walked to Nanaimo (approximately 100 km). For the most part we traveled the Old Island Highway and found most towns about 20 km apart -- a perfect daily walk. We stayed in a motel one night, a beautiful B & B the next. We stopped in to a "garage sale" at an elementary school in one small town. Since then we have walked the Rob Roy Trail in Scotland (126 km) in 2010. Two weeks from now we are off to Spain to walk in the White Mountains (southern Spain).
from TLJ:
When I was young walking was an equalizer. When things in our house were in the heightened state of chaos, I would use walking to physically distance myself from our home. I would take all the confrontation, anger, angst, and helplessness and with my feet I would pound it into the ground. I would "walk it off".
I would give all the negative energy to the atmosphere, and it would hold it for me. On so many of these walks, before I would turn back or reach my intended destination, it would rain it back down converting it to cold refreshing water. It would take the sting off, the heat off, and I could return to our house. I was calmer and more stable. I wasn't wrapped up in the emotional manipulation anymore. It provided me chances to diffuse the situation.
When I was young walking was an equalizer. When things in our house were in the heightened state of chaos, I would use walking to physically distance myself from our home. I would take all the confrontation, anger, angst, and helplessness and with my feet I would pound it into the ground. I would "walk it off".
I would give all the negative energy to the atmosphere, and it would hold it for me. On so many of these walks, before I would turn back or reach my intended destination, it would rain it back down converting it to cold refreshing water. It would take the sting off, the heat off, and I could return to our house. I was calmer and more stable. I wasn't wrapped up in the emotional manipulation anymore. It provided me chances to diffuse the situation.
from L:
Walking allows me to empty and in the course of emptying things come to me revealed in often subtle, delicate, near invisible ways. These things are often delightful and surprising, unexpected to me and of me, and are like dreams when I reflect upon them later. Ideas that I never expected surface, directions for my life often appear with great clarity, insights into challenges and problems appear without beckoning.
The trick is to just walk without predetermination or anxiety about what you are setting out to solve or what deadline you are to meet. The heart of it is to trust the practice of walking, walking without a destination, but for the process of emptying all expectations and anticipations so as to let things reveal itself and for your soul to talk with you.
Walking allows me to empty and in the course of emptying things come to me revealed in often subtle, delicate, near invisible ways. These things are often delightful and surprising, unexpected to me and of me, and are like dreams when I reflect upon them later. Ideas that I never expected surface, directions for my life often appear with great clarity, insights into challenges and problems appear without beckoning.
The trick is to just walk without predetermination or anxiety about what you are setting out to solve or what deadline you are to meet. The heart of it is to trust the practice of walking, walking without a destination, but for the process of emptying all expectations and anticipations so as to let things reveal itself and for your soul to talk with you.
from JG:
Another time we walked downtown close to the church when a young man approached us. B- is a probation and parole officer and she suspected he might be trouble. Turns out, he used sign language to tell us he was deaf and his side was hurting. We took him to the church and used their phone (and pencil and paper to get his story) to call the police to help him go to the doctor because his mom wouldn't take him. The police knew his mom had reported him as a runaway and they could help him.
Another time we walked downtown close to the church when a young man approached us. B- is a probation and parole officer and she suspected he might be trouble. Turns out, he used sign language to tell us he was deaf and his side was hurting. We took him to the church and used their phone (and pencil and paper to get his story) to call the police to help him go to the doctor because his mom wouldn't take him. The police knew his mom had reported him as a runaway and they could help him.
from SO:
I was in the US Marine Corps and walking was a big part of our training and daily life. There would be days where we had to do a force march for 25 miles. This was paced at 4 miles per hour. This exercise was designed to move troops out of a region and into another quickly. There were never enough trucks. Also, the constant practice of self-discipline and self-determination was another benefit. We would always have full packs and gear that weighed about 80lbs then we had to carry weapons too. It was grueling and took it's toll on my mental state and physical stature.
To this day when I walk alone, I have to remind myself that I don't have to wear myself out just to go for a walk.
I was in the US Marine Corps and walking was a big part of our training and daily life. There would be days where we had to do a force march for 25 miles. This was paced at 4 miles per hour. This exercise was designed to move troops out of a region and into another quickly. There were never enough trucks. Also, the constant practice of self-discipline and self-determination was another benefit. We would always have full packs and gear that weighed about 80lbs then we had to carry weapons too. It was grueling and took it's toll on my mental state and physical stature.
To this day when I walk alone, I have to remind myself that I don't have to wear myself out just to go for a walk.
from KP:
... I intuited so clearly that my Mom treasured my feminine energy to hold her hand as we went along. Girls play differently, women see differently, the feminine canters differently and so softly senses different questions to ask.
... I intuited so clearly that my Mom treasured my feminine energy to hold her hand as we went along. Girls play differently, women see differently, the feminine canters differently and so softly senses different questions to ask.
from Jy:
I have always enjoyed the outdoors. Walking gives me exercise as well as a chance to be out & enjoying the ever-changing sites around me. Three years ago i was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. I was told exercise & weight loss could help in controlling my glucose levels. Walking became a priority. I lost 85 lbs & have controlled my diabetes without medication. I was also able to quit my high blood pressure meds. Walking is something i enjoy and is good for me as well. My dog Belle loves it also.
I have always enjoyed the outdoors. Walking gives me exercise as well as a chance to be out & enjoying the ever-changing sites around me. Three years ago i was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. I was told exercise & weight loss could help in controlling my glucose levels. Walking became a priority. I lost 85 lbs & have controlled my diabetes without medication. I was also able to quit my high blood pressure meds. Walking is something i enjoy and is good for me as well. My dog Belle loves it also.
from KP:
“Tell me the story of when Grandpa got lost in the jungle and found his way home using the North Star!” My Mom would tirelessly retrace the steps of that story no matter how many times I asked. “Well,” she would smile as she inhaled the memory of a story that predated her birth as well. “Grandma and Grandpa were living in Africa...”
And so the forever-mystic story began. French West Africa in the 1930s. Prophetically, I could even smell the jungle scents as the story unfolded, and when I taught in South Africa decades later the Great Continent smelled like home and felt like a dance long-dormant in my bones. But before I could fly to Africa, I had to walk there with Grandpa: scared, lost, alone. With no light to guide him, Grandpa had become terribly lost in a very dangerous place.
In the dark where danger lurked beneath each leaf and behind each thought he walked into his fear and he prayed for guidance. Miraculously, the skies cleared and by starlight and constellation sentinels he was able to navigate his steps back to his family, and half a century later into my life. Sometimes we walk in the dark and trust that the way is before us. To get home we must keep walking.
“Tell me the story of when Grandpa got lost in the jungle and found his way home using the North Star!” My Mom would tirelessly retrace the steps of that story no matter how many times I asked. “Well,” she would smile as she inhaled the memory of a story that predated her birth as well. “Grandma and Grandpa were living in Africa...”
And so the forever-mystic story began. French West Africa in the 1930s. Prophetically, I could even smell the jungle scents as the story unfolded, and when I taught in South Africa decades later the Great Continent smelled like home and felt like a dance long-dormant in my bones. But before I could fly to Africa, I had to walk there with Grandpa: scared, lost, alone. With no light to guide him, Grandpa had become terribly lost in a very dangerous place.
In the dark where danger lurked beneath each leaf and behind each thought he walked into his fear and he prayed for guidance. Miraculously, the skies cleared and by starlight and constellation sentinels he was able to navigate his steps back to his family, and half a century later into my life. Sometimes we walk in the dark and trust that the way is before us. To get home we must keep walking.
from CS:
We live in Spokane where the weather has 4 seasons and I long ago determined to not let the weather circumstances preclude this joy of my life. I walk in rain, snow, wind, heat etc. and always am rejuvenated by the discipline to persevere. Through the years, I have experienced melancholy, seasonal affective disorder and, a situational induced depressive episode that actually threatened my life. Through all of that, and BECAUSE of all of that, I have continued to walk and I know, without question, walking has saved my sanity and my life. It not only surges my body with endorphins, but the activity soothes my soul and, in many ways, I liken it to a form of meditation. Walking has seen me through a number of episodes of profound grief and the healing process has occurred more naturally because I have been able to "release and let go" the heartbreak as my body moved in rhythm with nature all around me, witnessing to the ongoing processes of life. For most of the years, I have walked solo and it has allowed me to not be distracted by conversation.
We live in Spokane where the weather has 4 seasons and I long ago determined to not let the weather circumstances preclude this joy of my life. I walk in rain, snow, wind, heat etc. and always am rejuvenated by the discipline to persevere. Through the years, I have experienced melancholy, seasonal affective disorder and, a situational induced depressive episode that actually threatened my life. Through all of that, and BECAUSE of all of that, I have continued to walk and I know, without question, walking has saved my sanity and my life. It not only surges my body with endorphins, but the activity soothes my soul and, in many ways, I liken it to a form of meditation. Walking has seen me through a number of episodes of profound grief and the healing process has occurred more naturally because I have been able to "release and let go" the heartbreak as my body moved in rhythm with nature all around me, witnessing to the ongoing processes of life. For most of the years, I have walked solo and it has allowed me to not be distracted by conversation.
from JJ:
As children, my three brothers and I walked to the city bus stop in order to get to school when the Wisconsin weather wasn't conducive to riding our bikes. We lived on the edge of town, so the bus stop was a half-mile from our house. The most memorable walk home from the bus stop was in the midst of a terrible winter blizzard. Drifts were forming on the blacktop that stretched west from the bus stop to our house. The fierce wind met us head on. At times, facing the wind was too much, so the strategy was to turn away from the wind and go backward. It sheltered our faces from the wind for a bit, but it also slowed down the trip. Normally, the four of us stuck together, but this time, we each struggled homeward as best we could, eventually stringing out along the drifted street. We all made it safely home, where our mother waited, ready to help warm our frozen fingers and toes.
As children, my three brothers and I walked to the city bus stop in order to get to school when the Wisconsin weather wasn't conducive to riding our bikes. We lived on the edge of town, so the bus stop was a half-mile from our house. The most memorable walk home from the bus stop was in the midst of a terrible winter blizzard. Drifts were forming on the blacktop that stretched west from the bus stop to our house. The fierce wind met us head on. At times, facing the wind was too much, so the strategy was to turn away from the wind and go backward. It sheltered our faces from the wind for a bit, but it also slowed down the trip. Normally, the four of us stuck together, but this time, we each struggled homeward as best we could, eventually stringing out along the drifted street. We all made it safely home, where our mother waited, ready to help warm our frozen fingers and toes.
from LP:
One of my closest friends and I had it in our heads to climb Mount Snowdon, despite both of us being severely out of shape. … once we started walking we soon realized it’s actually effortless. It's so simple when your mind is in the right place, and nothing can stop you. We continued to walk local forests, nature walks and hills, also using the time to chat, and offload the world and our issues. Every time we returned from our walks there was always such a sense of achievement, that rain or shine we did something worthwhile. We never did walk Snowdon!!! But learnt a lot from wanting to.
Walking is my escape. Where I used to drink to forget, I walk, breath, look and observe, and my mind is refreshed. I feel as if nothing can touch me when I'm walking along at my own pace, in my own way, and no one can take that from me. The one main independence that I currently have, and I respect that thoroughly.
One of my closest friends and I had it in our heads to climb Mount Snowdon, despite both of us being severely out of shape. … once we started walking we soon realized it’s actually effortless. It's so simple when your mind is in the right place, and nothing can stop you. We continued to walk local forests, nature walks and hills, also using the time to chat, and offload the world and our issues. Every time we returned from our walks there was always such a sense of achievement, that rain or shine we did something worthwhile. We never did walk Snowdon!!! But learnt a lot from wanting to.
Walking is my escape. Where I used to drink to forget, I walk, breath, look and observe, and my mind is refreshed. I feel as if nothing can touch me when I'm walking along at my own pace, in my own way, and no one can take that from me. The one main independence that I currently have, and I respect that thoroughly.
from NCJ:
I start each day with a walk with my dog, and then try to do at least a 1/2 more during the day (usually with the dog, again!) It's a way to unwind while also getting energized. It helps with stress, helps me sleep better, and you can do it anywhere!
I start each day with a walk with my dog, and then try to do at least a 1/2 more during the day (usually with the dog, again!) It's a way to unwind while also getting energized. It helps with stress, helps me sleep better, and you can do it anywhere!
from KF:
Walking has always been a particularly meditative mode of transportation for me. In college, my dormitory was the farthest from the campus; the walk to class could take up to half-an-hour. I had lots of time to think and ponder various facets of my existence; but the aspect of walking I appreciated most was the opportunities it offered for encountering wonder. That's still the best part of walking; exercise is incidental.
My favorite time for walking is in the autumn when there are leaves to crunch underfoot and colors are breathtakingly beautiful. Definitely walking is a time to commune with nature. Such encounters often inspire me to write poetry--and there it is; that creative connection between walking and the arts. Since taking up watercolor painting seven months ago, I also find myself looking at the world differently when I walk, noticing the shapes of trees, the colors of dirt and grass, the way light filters through leaves, etc.
Walking has always been a particularly meditative mode of transportation for me. In college, my dormitory was the farthest from the campus; the walk to class could take up to half-an-hour. I had lots of time to think and ponder various facets of my existence; but the aspect of walking I appreciated most was the opportunities it offered for encountering wonder. That's still the best part of walking; exercise is incidental.
My favorite time for walking is in the autumn when there are leaves to crunch underfoot and colors are breathtakingly beautiful. Definitely walking is a time to commune with nature. Such encounters often inspire me to write poetry--and there it is; that creative connection between walking and the arts. Since taking up watercolor painting seven months ago, I also find myself looking at the world differently when I walk, noticing the shapes of trees, the colors of dirt and grass, the way light filters through leaves, etc.
from JD:
More and more my art practice is about walking. Walking is both a creative activity and a subject itself for my art. I feel there is a connection between a physical activity and being able to think clearly and creatively. The pace of walking is just right for my mind to think, and the rhythm is like a heart beat. It can be almost meditational. However walking for me is also about exploration. Even in places that I know quite well, when I walk them with intent I see them differently, experience them more intensely.
I think walking with intent, or with awareness, is being an artist - opening your eyes to what is really there, seeing as an artist sees, but more than that - it is a very sensory experience in every way. The physicality of the walk is everything, the weather on your face, the texture under your feet, as well as the sights, sounds, smells, tastes. Walking anywhere like this brings me back in tune with my mind as well as my body and all my physical experiences. The important thing is to really notice them.
More and more my art practice is about walking. Walking is both a creative activity and a subject itself for my art. I feel there is a connection between a physical activity and being able to think clearly and creatively. The pace of walking is just right for my mind to think, and the rhythm is like a heart beat. It can be almost meditational. However walking for me is also about exploration. Even in places that I know quite well, when I walk them with intent I see them differently, experience them more intensely.
I think walking with intent, or with awareness, is being an artist - opening your eyes to what is really there, seeing as an artist sees, but more than that - it is a very sensory experience in every way. The physicality of the walk is everything, the weather on your face, the texture under your feet, as well as the sights, sounds, smells, tastes. Walking anywhere like this brings me back in tune with my mind as well as my body and all my physical experiences. The important thing is to really notice them.
from WCH:
Most of what I know of England I learnt through my feet. This includes, its history and culture as well as, fairly obviously, its villages, towns, cities and majestic countryside. I can remember my amazement the first time I saw a limestone pavement. I saw one the other day near Arnside and still thought it wondrous. You just cannot see this sort of thing without venturing off the beaten track. Scanning your list I think walking plays all these parts in my life. Sometimes it is a chore when it’s raining and you've got a heavy shopping to carry, but it’s rare. I build it into my work commute it helps me relax (as opposed to the tube).
I can't think of a place I've visited where the experience hasn't been enhanced by walking.
Most of what I know of England I learnt through my feet. This includes, its history and culture as well as, fairly obviously, its villages, towns, cities and majestic countryside. I can remember my amazement the first time I saw a limestone pavement. I saw one the other day near Arnside and still thought it wondrous. You just cannot see this sort of thing without venturing off the beaten track. Scanning your list I think walking plays all these parts in my life. Sometimes it is a chore when it’s raining and you've got a heavy shopping to carry, but it’s rare. I build it into my work commute it helps me relax (as opposed to the tube).
I can't think of a place I've visited where the experience hasn't been enhanced by walking.
from D:
I'm a member of the Ramblers, and I get out as often as I can but seem to be reluctant to get out in really wintry or wet weather. Having tried gym membership and like many people letting it lapse, I decided that walking was the best option. I can do as much or as little as I like. I can go on my own and walk all day without meeting anyone else. It means fresh air and open country, discovering little villages, and seeing great views (and I don't live in the Lake District or anything like it!). Best of all, except for a bit of petrol, or the odd bus or train fare, the exercise itself is free - also allowing for tea and cake!
I'm a member of the Ramblers, and I get out as often as I can but seem to be reluctant to get out in really wintry or wet weather. Having tried gym membership and like many people letting it lapse, I decided that walking was the best option. I can do as much or as little as I like. I can go on my own and walk all day without meeting anyone else. It means fresh air and open country, discovering little villages, and seeing great views (and I don't live in the Lake District or anything like it!). Best of all, except for a bit of petrol, or the odd bus or train fare, the exercise itself is free - also allowing for tea and cake!
from JR:
For years I've noticed a connection between "creativity" and walking. Creativity guru Julia Cameron talks a lot about the importance of walking to loosen up or stimulate the thinking that goes on at a subconscious level. As a matter of fact, I believe one of her books is titled Walking in the World. Just about all the great spiritual leaders seem to have spent time walking. Jesus was probably walking during much of the forty days in the desert. It definitely tunes the mind to a channel on another, more intense, deeper level. A kind of "high" and a great gladness. It's a sort of digestion process for the mind--the repetitious rhythm of the breathing and the steps.
For years I've noticed a connection between "creativity" and walking. Creativity guru Julia Cameron talks a lot about the importance of walking to loosen up or stimulate the thinking that goes on at a subconscious level. As a matter of fact, I believe one of her books is titled Walking in the World. Just about all the great spiritual leaders seem to have spent time walking. Jesus was probably walking during much of the forty days in the desert. It definitely tunes the mind to a channel on another, more intense, deeper level. A kind of "high" and a great gladness. It's a sort of digestion process for the mind--the repetitious rhythm of the breathing and the steps.
from PP:
Walking Limerick:
You meet the nicest folks on a walk
Ramblers especially are willing to talk
A great way for neighbors to meet
Future friends both slow and fleet
And the dog will never squawk
Walking Limerick:
You meet the nicest folks on a walk
Ramblers especially are willing to talk
A great way for neighbors to meet
Future friends both slow and fleet
And the dog will never squawk
from VV:
Walking is the most common way for us to go from place to place. Funny thing is that you don't realize that moment when you can walk easily without any compensation. But you will definitely notice when you have some kind of problem in your body that interrupts walking. So I say we should give more attention to the normal way of walking.
Walking is the most common way for us to go from place to place. Funny thing is that you don't realize that moment when you can walk easily without any compensation. But you will definitely notice when you have some kind of problem in your body that interrupts walking. So I say we should give more attention to the normal way of walking.
from J:
…our headlights flashed across the trudging figure of a solitary human. What would put a solitary person out in this place now? We have our homeless, but they gather in cities. Was this a sojourner, from a comfortable home but testing mettle against the elements? The pack could have been a serious hiker's gear, but it could also have been the final belongings of a person who once had a stable life and real possessions, now reduced to what could be carried. Would there be a place to sleep, a meal, a caring companion? …Maybe that solitary walker was exercising a freedom joyfully, even knowing something beautiful had just been lost. Maybe walking is the one true way of experiencing spiritual change in a physical way.
…our headlights flashed across the trudging figure of a solitary human. What would put a solitary person out in this place now? We have our homeless, but they gather in cities. Was this a sojourner, from a comfortable home but testing mettle against the elements? The pack could have been a serious hiker's gear, but it could also have been the final belongings of a person who once had a stable life and real possessions, now reduced to what could be carried. Would there be a place to sleep, a meal, a caring companion? …Maybe that solitary walker was exercising a freedom joyfully, even knowing something beautiful had just been lost. Maybe walking is the one true way of experiencing spiritual change in a physical way.
from Ji:
Walking, even on the bleakest days, reminded me of the beauty of the outdoors. Walking also helped me bond with a friend who was coming out of her shell after her divorce. It's a time when we can chat and catch up on each other's lives. We call it "church".
Walking, even on the bleakest days, reminded me of the beauty of the outdoors. Walking also helped me bond with a friend who was coming out of her shell after her divorce. It's a time when we can chat and catch up on each other's lives. We call it "church".
from Ma:
I have a little mission on my walks. I look for nails or other sharp objects that may cause a flat time or a foot injury. Almost, without exception, I find one or two sharp objects on the side of the road. Not that many sidewalks in OKC, nor in this little community in PA where C. and B. live. This mission was inspired by the several times we had flat tires due to roofing nails after so many houses in OK continued to need roofs due to bad weather. I think I have truly saved a lot of injuries and inconveniences to unknown people.
I have a little mission on my walks. I look for nails or other sharp objects that may cause a flat time or a foot injury. Almost, without exception, I find one or two sharp objects on the side of the road. Not that many sidewalks in OKC, nor in this little community in PA where C. and B. live. This mission was inspired by the several times we had flat tires due to roofing nails after so many houses in OK continued to need roofs due to bad weather. I think I have truly saved a lot of injuries and inconveniences to unknown people.
from E:
Companionship is a big part of the walking because we do enjoy talking about things that we got side-tracked from at home. We do have the mixed blessing of wanting to examine in minute detail whatever we might do, buy, travel to, give, help with, rearrange. Walking has become a good time to examine things together. J-- seldom cares to examine people-issues that may be painful; however, walking does seem to provide the structure for those discussions sometimes. The problems, difficult decisions, painful situations, challenges, illnesses, quirks, annoyances, disappointments, and griefs of family, friends, and acquaintances sometimes surface and get attention.
Companionship is a big part of the walking because we do enjoy talking about things that we got side-tracked from at home. We do have the mixed blessing of wanting to examine in minute detail whatever we might do, buy, travel to, give, help with, rearrange. Walking has become a good time to examine things together. J-- seldom cares to examine people-issues that may be painful; however, walking does seem to provide the structure for those discussions sometimes. The problems, difficult decisions, painful situations, challenges, illnesses, quirks, annoyances, disappointments, and griefs of family, friends, and acquaintances sometimes surface and get attention.
from G:
I walk a lot. Not as much as I used to, but often. Not as far as I used to. Putting one foot in front of the other is exercise for me but also meditation. There are times where I hit a rhythm on a good hike and it took less effort to keep going then to make myself stop. Even fatigue was wonderful. Walking has always been my salvation. It makes the jagged pieces of my life fall into place.
As a toddler when the Russian armies were fighting their way into Germany, to get out of the war zone, my family headed west. First there were wagons and horses but soon they were confiscated and walk is what everyone did, including me. More than once my mother told the story of me walking with potty in hand, uncomplaining. One foot in front of the other. Walking was what you did, how you survived. I still love to walk and cannot imagine not being able to, but now without a potty.
Walking to me is soothing, meditative, pleasurable and salvation.
I walk a lot. Not as much as I used to, but often. Not as far as I used to. Putting one foot in front of the other is exercise for me but also meditation. There are times where I hit a rhythm on a good hike and it took less effort to keep going then to make myself stop. Even fatigue was wonderful. Walking has always been my salvation. It makes the jagged pieces of my life fall into place.
As a toddler when the Russian armies were fighting their way into Germany, to get out of the war zone, my family headed west. First there were wagons and horses but soon they were confiscated and walk is what everyone did, including me. More than once my mother told the story of me walking with potty in hand, uncomplaining. One foot in front of the other. Walking was what you did, how you survived. I still love to walk and cannot imagine not being able to, but now without a potty.
Walking to me is soothing, meditative, pleasurable and salvation.
from M:
Walking is something we should be doing all of our lives. I get lost in my iPod when I walk alone, but I love walking with friends and sharing the minutia of being alive. I think the power comes from moving forward and not having to make eye-contact, so it is a non-confrontational way of sharing things and even solving issues. Again, with moving forward, as in life we are forced to do. Might as well burn a few calories while we are at it, right?
Walking is something we should be doing all of our lives. I get lost in my iPod when I walk alone, but I love walking with friends and sharing the minutia of being alive. I think the power comes from moving forward and not having to make eye-contact, so it is a non-confrontational way of sharing things and even solving issues. Again, with moving forward, as in life we are forced to do. Might as well burn a few calories while we are at it, right?
from B:
I walk very little now, rarely for pleasure. The old knees don't permit the freedom I once had, and I am trying to avoid or delay replacement surgeries. But when Roscoe died some 18 months ago, I found myself walking in the paths that he had made throughout the yard. It became a way of grieving, or perhaps better, a way to organize my grieving. At first daily, then several times a week, then as a way of marking the next month's anniversary of his death. His paths followed the ones laid down by our earlier dog, Huckleberry, yet there were small variances that he made from the paths that she had set. Hers would tend to follow the line of the house around corners, his would be more likely to cut across the diagonal to make a more direct path. Both had established paths along the fence by the roads to the west and north of the yard. Walking in the paths of Roscoe made me look at where he had walked, imagine why he walked there, understand his mind a little bit better.
Over time, the distinct paths started to be overgrown by the yard's grasses: my perambulations were not as regular as his and my extremities lacked his sharp claws. I was deeply touched to watch his paths disappear, but along with that sadness I found a rueful understanding that just as those paths through the yard would gradually be covered with grass, so would the wounds in my soul gradually be worn away by time. I don't walk those paths nearly so regularly now. They are almost gone. But I can tell that there will always be signs, if one only looks closely enough.
I walk very little now, rarely for pleasure. The old knees don't permit the freedom I once had, and I am trying to avoid or delay replacement surgeries. But when Roscoe died some 18 months ago, I found myself walking in the paths that he had made throughout the yard. It became a way of grieving, or perhaps better, a way to organize my grieving. At first daily, then several times a week, then as a way of marking the next month's anniversary of his death. His paths followed the ones laid down by our earlier dog, Huckleberry, yet there were small variances that he made from the paths that she had set. Hers would tend to follow the line of the house around corners, his would be more likely to cut across the diagonal to make a more direct path. Both had established paths along the fence by the roads to the west and north of the yard. Walking in the paths of Roscoe made me look at where he had walked, imagine why he walked there, understand his mind a little bit better.
Over time, the distinct paths started to be overgrown by the yard's grasses: my perambulations were not as regular as his and my extremities lacked his sharp claws. I was deeply touched to watch his paths disappear, but along with that sadness I found a rueful understanding that just as those paths through the yard would gradually be covered with grass, so would the wounds in my soul gradually be worn away by time. I don't walk those paths nearly so regularly now. They are almost gone. But I can tell that there will always be signs, if one only looks closely enough.
from Ju:
Walking, to me, is a bass line. The walking bass line transformed jazz. Instead of 1 and 3 "oom-pahs" from a tuba, we have constant quarter notes from a bass. It was all made possible by electricity which amplified the bass enough to be heard. From there, jazz began to really swing. Listen to a Dixieland band verses a Swing band and you'll hear the difference. And they call it "walking bass." Not "running,' not "trotting," not "swinging," but walking. It's simple, it's constant, but without it, the music just doesn't swing.
Walking, to me, is a bass line. The walking bass line transformed jazz. Instead of 1 and 3 "oom-pahs" from a tuba, we have constant quarter notes from a bass. It was all made possible by electricity which amplified the bass enough to be heard. From there, jazz began to really swing. Listen to a Dixieland band verses a Swing band and you'll hear the difference. And they call it "walking bass." Not "running,' not "trotting," not "swinging," but walking. It's simple, it's constant, but without it, the music just doesn't swing.
from J:
... As I walk with these guys and a girl - who I count as friends and equals (except for the childishness of the puppies) - I am repeatedly made aware of the infinite quality of life; the fact that my hikes across this field, these dogs running with me - could have happened scores of times before and will happen scores of times again in the future. The eternity of our existence is not in eternal life; it is in doing things that have an eternal quality…
…Over the course of those 2 years, and greatly on those walks, I really sorted out what I thought about life, and what I wanted from the rest of my life. Some of the best conversations I ever had - with ex-wife, kids, to-be-wife - came on those walks. Walking puts physical action into play with our emotions. Walking makes it possible to say difficult things and leave them behind in a way that can't be done on a back porch swing or in a therapist's office. I survive because I walk.
... As I walk with these guys and a girl - who I count as friends and equals (except for the childishness of the puppies) - I am repeatedly made aware of the infinite quality of life; the fact that my hikes across this field, these dogs running with me - could have happened scores of times before and will happen scores of times again in the future. The eternity of our existence is not in eternal life; it is in doing things that have an eternal quality…
…Over the course of those 2 years, and greatly on those walks, I really sorted out what I thought about life, and what I wanted from the rest of my life. Some of the best conversations I ever had - with ex-wife, kids, to-be-wife - came on those walks. Walking puts physical action into play with our emotions. Walking makes it possible to say difficult things and leave them behind in a way that can't be done on a back porch swing or in a therapist's office. I survive because I walk.