Go for a Walk

Whew! Got sucked down the rabbit hole of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear there for a bit. But I’m back since who knows how long the wait will be until we see the third Rothfuss book. On to today’s musings….

Do you walk JUST to walk? Not because it’s good exercise, not because it’s a mode of transportation? I’m not sure that happens very often. I love to go out for a walk and always feel better afterward so maybe it’s never just a walk. Some of my best ideas come during or just after one of my jaunts. And, I usually have my camera in my pocket to record anything interesting–mostly bugs–or eye-catching so a walk becomes a photo expedition as well. Or I need fresh air or to burn off excess energy.

One Yellow Leaf

Photo from a recent walk.

Something that amazes me is how few people The Taste Tester and I run into on some of our weekend walks. We have some amazing open space with flat paths all throughout nearby. How many other walkers do we see on our hour plus rambles? Maybe 6. That seems sad.

Being me (and you’ll come to know this in time), I’ve been reading up on the subject. Also pondering the subject of walking while walking which seems sort of meta. Wanderlust: A History of Walking by one of my favorite essayists, Rebecca Solnit and The Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science, Philosophy and Literature of Pedestrianism (which ended up being kind of annoying) by Geoff Nicholson were my books of choice. That was quite a bit to ponder and the Solnit book especially was the inspiration for the following question.

When you say “I’m going for a walk,” what is your primary motive?
1. Get exercise
2. Get fresh air
3. See things
4. Calm down
5. Escape
6. Reclaim public space
7. Think
8. Other (If you would drop a line to say what this “other” is, that would be groovy.)

Why not go for a walk today? If it’s raining, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll melt. If it’s cold, you can bundle up. If it’s hot, don’t wear too much. Maybe you’ll see something new. You’ll most likely get some fresh air. And exercise is not a bad thing. I’ll be out there too. Seeing things, thinking, getting fresh air & exercise, and taking photos.