Let's go for a walk

When was the last time that you got out and walked anywhere in town? I couldn't remember so on Saturday, I decided to walk the day away. Here are a few of the things that I did and found.

I started out by walking to the optometrist. Dr. Bertram's office is just a few blocks away so it wasn't too difficult to do. The weather was gorgeous. Sunlight and a cool breeze were the perfect complement to the trip. I did learn that I felt much safer walking home with my eyes dilated than if I were trying to drive.

After spending a couple hours in my darkened apartment waiting for my eyes to recover, I headed out to the pharmacy to pick up some supplies for my new contact lenses. While I was walking I realized how nice it felt to stretch my legs and got to thinking about how simple it would be to do my grocery shopping this way as well. The total trip time to the pharmacy is less than a 20 minute walk, the grocery store would only add another 5 or so.

I felt so great leaving the pharmacy I walked 10 minutes over to the hair salon. Needing a quick trim, it also gave me the chance to try out the new sunglasses (2 for 1 at the pharmacy). I learned on that portion of my trip that several off the crosswalk lights in town don't work even if you push the button!

Sunday morning, I decided that I had ample time to walk to church. I headed out about 90 minutes early and discovered that I needed less than half that time to cover the mileage. It was during that walk that I found how peaceful things were when walking.

Overall, the weekend was a success. Slowing down and walking gives one the sense that there's no rush. A definite destination makes the trip much easier, but also allows the mind to wander in a way that's impossible to do when you're behind the wheel. Without the distraction of traffic, phone or radio, I could think about things, really pondering, looking through the microscope instead of glimpsing thoughts like snapshots from a moving train.