Walking is a time waster these days. In a busy world with things to get done, walking is the inconvenient and slow option. Leisurely walking may be a recreational activity for people with time on their hands, and for those looking to get in their ten thousand steps, walking might be another daily goal. But what if walking became something more to us?
In recent years more studies have shown that, from a physical health standpoint, walking is an excellent form of exercise. Those who walk for 20 minutes a day will burn seven pounds of body fat a year and increase their overall health. Yet among industrialized nations, the United States, for example, walks the least at barely 5000 steps a day, while people in Australia walk nearly twice that much. Our relationship with the simple act of walking is often an indicator of our level of health and activity.
Today most of the travel we do is all about the destination. We run to the store or the bank, we pick up kids and drop off the mail. Very seldom do we travel simply for the sake of enjoying the journey. But when we stroll along in our neighbourhood the goal changes. Walking becomes much more about getting to know the people and place where we live, and less about simply passing through. Stepping out our front door can change our perspective in surprising ways.
I recall when a friend from Haiti came to Canada for the first time. Some of his comments have stuck with me. He wondered why people would build homes for their vehicles (garages) and why no one was out on the street visiting with each other. He was surprised and wondered how people got to know each other without walking around and visiting with each other.
Walking has a way of helping us enter into the beauty of our community. We can see our city from the window of a vehicle, but to experience the people, encounter joy, and stumble across surprises it often requires that we put on our shoes and walk. Walking is a reminder that we live in, with, and among a community of people that truly matter. For those of us who love our neighbourhoods, walking is a way we explore, learn, and love the place we call home.
Novelist Jerry Spinelli wrote that “Home is everything you can walk to.” When we walk through our neighbourhoods we discover the value they have in our lives and the many ways that our streets and parks and local shops make up the fabric of the place we call home. In small and meaningful ways we give room in our imagination for our neighbourhood when we decide to walk. We discover that we have a home and that it may be more special and meaningful than we know.
Walking slows us down and sets us on a new kind of rhythm of thoughtfulness. Each step helps us to both connect to the world around us and at the same time gives us space to let our minds wander and reflect. Sometimes the best ideas emerge on a long walk. So whether you walk, run, or push a baby stroller, may you discover the joy of engaging with your neighbourhood on foot. Who knows what new joy a little wasted time strolling along can bring.
