I have been walking 6-7 miles a day since March 14 for a total of 186-217 miles or about as far as Oklahoma City to the north or Austin to the south. Whew! I feel like Forrest Gump when he runs for 3-plus years, only I am walking. I have walked in the early morning when the only sound is the beguiling melody of the birds and the plaintive chirp of cicadas and crickets. I have walked at twilight “when the lights are soft and low, and the quiet shadows, falling, softly come and softly go” (lyrics to “In the Gloaming”). I have walked in 90-degree weather, 38-degree weather and everything in between. I have walked in a dizzying drizzle, a sporadic sprinkle and a spectacular shower. I have walked in a gentle breeze that tickled the back of my neck, a sudden gust that blew my hair straight up and a blustery blast that chafed my already withered-from-so-much-washing hands. Walking is not for the faint of heart.
I feel like the farmers who are often subject to the vagaries of the weather. How thrilled they must have been in 1792 when the first farmer’s almanac was published — grateful for an extended weather forecast to guide the planting of crops. It also provided astronomy information, fishing and gardening tips, home remedies and recipes. My almanac, however, is the Dark Sky app. It will tell me down to the minute when rain will start or stop in my specific area. It is not foolproof; it does lie to me occasionally. But I am still grateful for the mostly accurate information provided.
In Europe, walking or volksmarching (people’s march in German) is a national sport. According to Wikipedia, volksmarching (from German "volksmarsch", people's march) is a form of noncompetitive fitness walking that developed in Europe in the mid-late 1960s. By 1968, the International Federation of Popular Sports (better known as the "IVV") was formed by Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Participants typically walk 3.1 miles, 6.2 miles, 12 miles or longer on a predetermined outdoor path or trail, with the aid of posted signs or markings, or a map and a set of written directions. IVV members around the world organize more than 7,500 events each year for an estimated participation of 10,000,000 people. There is even an American Volkssport Association which holds several annual events in various locations.
There is no question that walking is good for your health. According to Allie Smeeth in Stars and Stripes Europe, some people disregard walking as a choice of exercise. However, numerous studies show that daily walking can:
· Help lower body fat and decrease the risk for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
· Help combat stress, manage emotions and promote healthy coping mechanisms.
· Lower the risk of falls for ages 65 and older, as walking improves balance by building both core and lower body strength.
I have taken improving my balance a bit further by walking on top of a concrete wall that is beside a sidewalk every day. There is a man that I have seen many times on my walk around Brookhaven College. He gave me a very funny look when he eyed me walking above his head on top of the concrete wall.
When I walk in the early morning it is as though God is holding me in the palm of his hand. Everything is silent except for the coo of a pigeon or hoot of an owl with the metronome thrumming of cicadas. I don’t have to read torrid headlines, listen to sirens blaring or hear the continually disheartening reports from TV newscasters. I am at peace and I am calm, at one with nature. I am enveloped in another world, a world where the coronavirus does not exist — it does not affect the trees or the grass or the flowers or the birds. I am not fearful. I do not see ugliness and death; I see only beauty. I am transported to my little piece of heaven.
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