Last night, I wanted to get some food and I did not want to drive. So I walked. It is about 2 miles to the closest grocery store. This two miles to the store is about 5 minutes in a car. As I walk, it was about 30 minutes. I was not in it to break any speed records. It was really just an excuse to get outside for a while.
And as I walked I thought about what I was going to buy. I had time to change my mind a few times while walking. And I had time to think about other things and to look up in the sky and see the stars.
The only hard part was crossing the 6 lane street. There are no crosswalks, not even at the lights. And each intersection has cars always moving to the right or left, so it is hard to know when to cross. But with a little patience, I made it safely across.
When I got to the grocery, I was in a strange mood. I was not hurried. I did not rush in and out getting what few things I thought I needed and forgetting some others. I took my time. I just had 25 minutes without any distractions except for my putting one foot in front of the other. I was focused Since I had already invested an extra 25 minutes getting there and since that walking calmed me down, I remembered everything I wanted to get, including some I had forgotten about until I saw them: some dried cranberries for my oatmeal, a salad for tonight.
I was also able to pay attention to what I was buying. I did not buy the salad greens with the one brown piece at the bottom of the package. I did buy the organic, less sweet, dried cranberries. And I saved 5 cents using a backpack instead of one of their bags.
When I got back to my apartment, I felt good and when I woke up this morning, I felt better. I slept well. My joints don’t ache, and I am able to write this blog with some concentration.
So why is it I don’t walk everyday?
And why can’t I use this little walk as an excuse to not drive somewhere? After all, my additional fat cells are an alternative energy source. Renewable and even with this use, there is very little fear of them running out.
