65. Go For a Walk

Go! It's ok. You can do it!

Pecan pie. I couldn't get it out of my head. I was craving it like crazy and nothing else would do. The problem is that my car was in the shop and I had no way to get to the store. Having always been partial to hyperbole, I was quick to declare that I would do ANYTHING for a piece of pecan pie. Realizing my sprawled out position of sloth on the couch, I quickly realized the error of my words and the laziness many of us carry. When did walking get ruled out as an option? It was a nice day out and I was in no particular hurry. Besides, adventure is out there!

Sadly, I had no swash-bucking escapades on my pilgrimage to the blessed destination of pie-dom. But I did have time to take in a lot of great things. I also had opportunities to think. I focused my mental energies on trying to figure out why people don't walk much anymore and some of the benefits of picking it up again. Here's what I came up with:

• Moving is healthy for you. There's a reason the stereotypical couch potato is a fatty slob, and it ain't his commitment to fitness. Walking gets your heart rate into the fat burning zone and helps keep muscles toned.
• Walking helps you slow down... without stalling. We live in a hurry up and wait society. We all complain about it, but we do nothing to change it. But we can! In our personal lives at least.
• You can think through things proactively. TV and movies use scenes of walking conversations to give the appearance of the story moving forward. There is a psychological factor here. Use it to your advantage.
• Adventure is out there! Okay, I said that already.... and I stole it from the old guy in Up. But the point is - you've got to leave the comfort of your couch if you want to live.

This is not a long or in any way a definitive list. But I do hope it's enough to get you motivated to get up and go for a walk. Go encounter the world! Slow down enough to see the things in your neighborhood that you never notice. You'll be surprised what you find. You may even be surprised where you end up. Go for a walk. Get swept off somewhere.

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"It's a dangerous business, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
                                  - J.R.R. Tolkien

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