Learning to Walk
I learned to walk when I moved to Austin. I'd never liked to walk. It was too slow and didn't burn enough calories. Besides, I was an athlete and a former competitive distance runner. Walking was for people who couldn't or for people with dogs who lived in apartments. I was too busy and needed a more efficient form of exercise.
Then I moved to Austin. Too poor for a gym membership and not willing to begin running again, I started walking. A friend took me to the Hike and Bike Trail at Town Lake my second day in Austin. I started going there a few times a week. I'd walk an hour at a pretty good pace, listen to music, and finish feeling good about myself.
Life in Austin sucked. I was alone in a world with too much noise and too many distractions. I was unfocused and lost. My sanity hung on single thread. Except when I was walking. The crunch of gravel under my feet and the music blasting in my head gave me a silent place where I could just be. I walked, I thought, and I disappeared. Above all, the chaos that plagued me faded, even if only for a hour or so. I loved walking in the bright sunshine and in the darkness of night with only street lights to guide me.
Somewhere along the line, I became stronger and Austin became more tolerable. I stopped walking and started running. I love to run, but it doesn't do for me what walking does. That's why I started walking again a few weeks ago. My sanity is fine, but chaos is still everywhere. I've learned to check out and check in. The last thing I want is to sink into an abyss like when I first moved here. Walking gives me a break from the world and an uncommon peace.
Plus, let's be honest, it burns more calories than sitting at my computer or laying in bed watching TV and I need to burn more calories. The way I see it, walking is a win-win right now - Sanity and potential weight loss. I can't go wrong there.
On my walks these days, I feel an unusual closeness to God. I focus on where I want to go spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Above all, I always think positively. I hate the saying 'thoughts become things', but more and more I see it's truth. When I started walking a few years ago, all I wanted was a little calm in the storm that raged around me. I'd think about happiness and try to envision living a peaceful life in a peaceful world. You know what? I found that world. I found peace. Is it a miracle, God's Grace, or both? I don't know, but once upon a time it was a thought...and it became a 'thing'. That's said, there's just no telling what will come next. I guess I'll keep walking and keep thinking positively. It sure can't hurt. And if it burn a few calories along the way, so be it.
Then I moved to Austin. Too poor for a gym membership and not willing to begin running again, I started walking. A friend took me to the Hike and Bike Trail at Town Lake my second day in Austin. I started going there a few times a week. I'd walk an hour at a pretty good pace, listen to music, and finish feeling good about myself.
Life in Austin sucked. I was alone in a world with too much noise and too many distractions. I was unfocused and lost. My sanity hung on single thread. Except when I was walking. The crunch of gravel under my feet and the music blasting in my head gave me a silent place where I could just be. I walked, I thought, and I disappeared. Above all, the chaos that plagued me faded, even if only for a hour or so. I loved walking in the bright sunshine and in the darkness of night with only street lights to guide me.
Somewhere along the line, I became stronger and Austin became more tolerable. I stopped walking and started running. I love to run, but it doesn't do for me what walking does. That's why I started walking again a few weeks ago. My sanity is fine, but chaos is still everywhere. I've learned to check out and check in. The last thing I want is to sink into an abyss like when I first moved here. Walking gives me a break from the world and an uncommon peace.
Plus, let's be honest, it burns more calories than sitting at my computer or laying in bed watching TV and I need to burn more calories. The way I see it, walking is a win-win right now - Sanity and potential weight loss. I can't go wrong there.
On my walks these days, I feel an unusual closeness to God. I focus on where I want to go spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Above all, I always think positively. I hate the saying 'thoughts become things', but more and more I see it's truth. When I started walking a few years ago, all I wanted was a little calm in the storm that raged around me. I'd think about happiness and try to envision living a peaceful life in a peaceful world. You know what? I found that world. I found peace. Is it a miracle, God's Grace, or both? I don't know, but once upon a time it was a thought...and it became a 'thing'. That's said, there's just no telling what will come next. I guess I'll keep walking and keep thinking positively. It sure can't hurt. And if it burn a few calories along the way, so be it.
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