Thursday, September 19, 2013

Walking Feet

I am not known for my athleticism.  My brother was the Athlete, and I was the Brain in the family, and I took that description to heart. I'm just as likely to fall down as I am to remain upright. My aches and pains have aches and pains.  And since I have exercise-induced asthma, I get all huffy and puffy before I make it to the end of my driveway. 

But I love to go walking. 

When we lived in Germany, my parents signed us all up for Volksmarches, which were 10k walks through various parts of the area.  When you made it to the end, you were given a medal.  Not a cheap, dime store medal, either.  No, these medals were made of pewter, and looked very fine pinned to an eight year old's coat. That is likely where my love of walking began.

Walking doesn't hurt.  That's important to someone like me.  I tend to get discouraged easily when I find that I can no longer do all the things that I used to do.  Most activities make my knees ache, but not walking.  I can often go at my own pace without any pain at all.  I have exercise-induced asthma, but I can still walk.  If I start to lose my breath, I can slow down, or even stop. 

Walking doesn't cost a thing.  I don't have to pay for a membership to walk.  I don't have to buy a special walking outfit with the cutesy headband so that everyone can see how cute I am.  I can wear whatever outfit I happen to have in my closet, and my old tennis shoes will work just as fine as the 300$ pair that some people have to have.

Walking takes you places.  Point A to Point B starts with that first step, one foot in front of the other, following whatever road you like.  If you decide that you don't like the path you're on, you can turn around and head back the way you came.  If I was out with friends as a teenager, and I didn't like what they were doing, I would just walk home.  Car breaks down?  You can still walk. There's no have to about walking, but it takes me where I want to go.

Some of my very best adventures have happened while I was walking.  I don't wear headphones or talk on the phone.  I smile and I look around at the world, up, down, left, and right.  I carry a stick just in case I run into a pack of unruly dogs or something, and I explore the world.   I've been caught in a storm,  slid down a muddy hill, and found a rainbow. I discovered a lake that I never even knew existed not a mile from my house. I've photographed wildflowers along the side of the road. I've seen deer, rabbits, cranes, at least one coral snake, hawks, buzzards, and more possums than I'd care to count.  I've found wild strawberries, blackberries, and mulberries.  I've even found wild onions on the side of the road.

No wonder I love walking.



1.) Your favorite kind of exercise.

Mama’s Losin’ It

9 comments:

  1. I love that you take the time to look and to really notice what's around you when you walk. It sounds relaxing and energizing at the same time.

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  2. I like walking too especially to do a photowalk without the kids.

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  3. What a beautiful "ode to walking." I love seeing the change in seasons when I run. I always say you can tell by what's on the pavement ... butterflies, earthworms, those fuzzy little caterpillars ...

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  4. Walking!!! Yes! I LOVE Walking. Oh the things one can see/find/learn/enjoy/smell - when walking.

    Okay - gonna put my shoes on my feet right now . . .

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  5. I love to walk, too! Right now I'm in the difficult phase where my kids are too big for the stroller but not big enough to actually go walking with me. Oh well, such is life!

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  6. Walking is a good one. You can go as fast or slow as you want to. No matter what your pace it's doing something for you.

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  7. I also love to walk. And run. But I'd suspect, if I had more time, I'd like walking more than running. But don't tell anyone. :)

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  8. Walking is the easiest thing to do and yet I still keep myself trapped inside. Amazing how difficult it can be to bring yourself to your feet and just GO FOR A WALK!

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  9. I love walking too! It's sometimes hard for me to make the time to walk, but right now I don't have a car so have been walking the 4 or so blocks to my work and back each day. Just that little bit has made a huge difference in how I feel physically, mentally and emotionally, and I've also been losing a bit of weight!.

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