I walk home from work some or all the way most days during the milder months. I live about 7 miles from work in downtown Portland so when I walk the whole distance its a pretty good stretch of the legs. There have been years when I could only manage a few blocks and would bus the rest of the way, and there were several years when I walked almost every weekday the entire seven miles. While this year I haven't walked as far nor as often as I would like, I still have walked a portion of the distance most days. Whether I go a few blocks, a mile, or the whole distance I enjoy the changing of the seasons, and the changes I discover in me as I discover the moments of autumn or spring at dusk and early evening to be worth the walk.
My Brother visited me a couple of weeks ago in the hopes of seeing the Fall colors. But in October the colors were just starting to form. Now, at their peak, I keep getting distracted and want to caputure the colors to show him. Alas, in two dimensions most of the awesome detail is missing. Too bad one can't hear the special sound of the breese through these trees or see the squirrels bustling around hurriedly hiding and burying as much as possible before the weather turns cold and wintry.
The longer the walk, the more I am able to mellow the edges of the day's jaggedness. As my pulse quickens and my breath deepens my view of the world expands beyond the limited scope of the days ups and downs. Sometimes I start by willing myself to just place one foot in front of the other. Past experience has taught me that no matter how much I may be hurting when I start to walk, by the time I complete it the pain in my body will be back in its proper perspective. So I feel the ground under one foot and then another, with a quickening pace as my muscles start to lengthen and my thoughts start to sharpen. I smell various meals being prepared by neighbors, and the perspective of my day widens. With a surety I allow comfort to wash over me provided with courtesy by gratitude. Gratitude for whatever force or Higher Power that has made this moment, this frozen moment in time, possible. I walk in the door of home, the warmth of the room touches me and I know that at least right now, in this place, at this time, everything is just fine. All it took was a little walk.
My Brother visited me a couple of weeks ago in the hopes of seeing the Fall colors. But in October the colors were just starting to form. Now, at their peak, I keep getting distracted and want to caputure the colors to show him. Alas, in two dimensions most of the awesome detail is missing. Too bad one can't hear the special sound of the breese through these trees or see the squirrels bustling around hurriedly hiding and burying as much as possible before the weather turns cold and wintry.
The longer the walk, the more I am able to mellow the edges of the day's jaggedness. As my pulse quickens and my breath deepens my view of the world expands beyond the limited scope of the days ups and downs. Sometimes I start by willing myself to just place one foot in front of the other. Past experience has taught me that no matter how much I may be hurting when I start to walk, by the time I complete it the pain in my body will be back in its proper perspective. So I feel the ground under one foot and then another, with a quickening pace as my muscles start to lengthen and my thoughts start to sharpen. I smell various meals being prepared by neighbors, and the perspective of my day widens. With a surety I allow comfort to wash over me provided with courtesy by gratitude. Gratitude for whatever force or Higher Power that has made this moment, this frozen moment in time, possible. I walk in the door of home, the warmth of the room touches me and I know that at least right now, in this place, at this time, everything is just fine. All it took was a little walk. 
Lovely - You know I love your writing. I miss walking consistently. It is most certainly time to layer and close the door behind me as I step out.
ReplyDeleteKrista
Thanks I havent been walking much this past week or two. But walking through the fatigue pain or angst is a good technique in reality or as a metaphor.
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