Friedrich Nietzche wrote, “all truly great thoughts are conceived while walking”.
The idea to write this article, while, maybe, not a “great” idea, did come to me while I was walking.
Here goes...
Many times through the years I have been asked “Why do you walk?” When first I was asked the question I would respond, “because I ran out of excuses for not walking”. I had a friend who had walked long term. Every time I saw her she would ask: “did you walk this morning?” I would respond “No” and give that day’s excuse. The excuses became as lame as “I didn’t want to”. “I don’t like walking...” I heard what I was saying and got a nagging happening in my head and it just persisted. These days I answer the question, “Why do I walk?” differently. Now I say...
I walk to more fully observe and experience the beauty of the created order.
The earth is stunning: its intricacies immeasurable. Mary Louis wrote, “to walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles”. I have witnessed a thousand miracles!
Walking through the seasons reveals just a tiny glimpse of the marvel, the interconnectedness, the wonders right before me:
Winter reveals snow, hoarfrost, drifts, snow-laden trees, tracks in the fresh snow, squeaky sounds, frigid air that somehow feels so pure, so clear. And this season seems frozen in time.
Spring brings change, every day. Tender greening, growth, drying, blossoms, wildflowers, oh the variety of wildflowers.
Spring holds more activity. Farm equipment at work, preparing and planting the land. Fields are transformed, levelled, brown/black into the foreseeable steps. Gardens begin to emerge. Wild animals with their newborn often cross my path. Most fascinating was seeing two cougars walking on a newly seeded field in May. Most frightening is getting too close to bears who are out patrolling, looking for their breakfast. Domestic animals, cattle with their spring calves speckle the countryside, baby lambs with their mothers as I walk the forty shades of green of Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula Hiking Trail. And sheep herds coming towards us on the hiking trail that has merged to become a road for vehicles and for farm purposes.
And, oh joy! This season means lighter walking clothes and the warm spring sun!
Summer sees the wildflowers continue to flourish – wild roses, buttercups, paintbrushes, tiger lilies (my favourite), lady slippers (she must have a big foot), etc.
They seem to stand still in time, yet even by the next morning, their appearance has changed. Crops emerge and change daily. The canola comes into full bloom and radiates beauty for three weeks.
Trees are in full foliage and provide shade from the season’s heat. The river has slowed from the rush of spring run-off and it lazily makes its way toward the lake. Lakeside walks are exhilarating as the loon calls, fish jump, and ripples move across the water. Summer walks tend to extend in length, perhaps with the hope of prolonging the season.
All too soon summer gives way to autumn and the changes speed up. Crops ripen, wildflowers wither, grasses die... and the leaves so brilliant before their fall. Sounds change and the dominant morning sound in the country for a period of time is the honking of geese as they let me know my walking days will soon be more challenging for winter is lurking.
And another sound is common: farm equipment – moving toward a harvest-ready field or moving out after completing the field late into the night. Trucks hauling the yield of their labour to their chosen grain terminal or to store in bins until later. And the sound that keeps me most alert – gunshots. Hunting season has arrived. The wild animals that have learned I am not a threat through the year are now on edge.
Very often I can only catch a glimpse of them off in the distance as they flee quickly picking up on my smell or hearing my step. I have even made lots of noise and blown my whistle to get them moving when I know hunters are in the area! The rivers appear lazy in this season. Their water levels drop and they seem in no hurry to get to the lake before freeze up.
And then one morning I step out into the countryside covered in white. I am reminded that another walking year lies before me and nothing has been written on it yet. So I step into the experience to embrace what is down the road...
I walk for my health and well-being. Obviously, walking is good for me. My body is designed to be upright and to get around on my own two feet, not to sit in one position for extended periods of time. On April 9, 2007, I laced up my runners and stepped out of my door into a spring morning. Since that morning I have laced up my runners, winter/summer hiking boots every day and April 8, 2022, saw 5479 consecutive walking days in 15 years. I began in 2007 with the intent that on a 90-day sabbatical (that began that day) I would become a healthier person physically.
And what I discovered is that my mental, physical, and spiritual health all responded to the act of putting one foot in front of the other. As 90 days concluded I had formed a habit, as you can imagine. So the morning walk was now built into my schedule. As time moved along when my mind thought “let’s skip today’s walk,” it seemed my body vibrated in protest so, my feet took my mind out the door on these days. Walking regularly is one of those activities that are truly self-reinforcing. The more of it I do the more I like to do it and the easier it is to do. Many times in these last two years as we lived with all the challenges and changes of a worldwide pandemic I have given thanks for my walking ritual. It has kept me safe, and healthy, and allowed me to escape new restrictions, changes, and responsibilities for a brief span of time each day.
Social – By nature I am a quiet, reserved person and so a walk by myself is a good fit. But I do enjoy the company of others. I experience a perfect walk when a neighbour meets me along the road so that some of the walk is in solitude, some in communication with another. I much enjoy walks in the Swan River Legion Park where I cross paths with others and have brief conversations. Communication and conversations are easier on a walk. It is easier to articulate, to share thoughts when putting one foot in front of the other. It is easy to open up, to become vulnerable as I share something I’ve been guarding or incubating for some time as I walk with a neighbour or friend.
It is also easier to ask a difficult or uncomfortable question. By far the most fun I had walking has been in the company of friends, especially extended hikes on the Dingle Walk in Ireland, the Iona Pilgrimage in Scotland, the El Camino Pilgrimage in Spain and the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland.
Lots of fun, deep bonding, and risk-taking as we shared walking and its benefits.
By far the scariest experience I had walking was when I was alone. I truly regretted not having a companion that morning! Often I do not even take my cell phone but fortunately that morning as I was gathering what I might need my eye caught the phone and I picked it up.
It was April 2017. I stepped out to walk in Paris. Well, each intersection had like seven converging directions. So no prairie intersection – north, south, east, west. No.
Everything was at an angle. I walked for an hour and thought I had better head back for breakfast. Our tour bus was leaving at 9 a.m.. I walked for some time but then became aware that nothing in my surroundings was familiar.
For quite some time I tried to retrace my steps but nothing seemed right and I could tell by the light that I was not going in the right direction. When I headed where I thought I should go, that did not work either. I was lost!
So I asked numerous people and one sent me one way and I would go and would not find my way. I asked another only to be directed back to where I came from. Most of them spoke Paris French. So I hit a language barrier!
I had walked in countless major cities: Madrid, Dublin, Belfast, Toronto, Las Vegas, Glasgow, San Diego, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki... and never got lost before!! So my pride was injured and once I soothed it, quieted my fear, my brain re-started. I realized I did have my phone. And, I did have 27 percent battery life, so had to be efficient in its usage. I phoned my daughter and son-in-law. They pulled up a map and in time they were able to match where I was as I stood at one of those seven pronged intersections, and they directed me back to our hotel. Enough excitement for one day, and all of it before breakfast! Definitely walking with another is a good strategy!
Henry David Thoreau wrote, “the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow”.
This has been my experience. And some of my thoughts I choose to explore in my own head, others I like to share with another to reflect more in-depth, to understand more clearly, or just to verbalize what seems to me to be a good thought.
So the balance between walking alone and walking with another is something I always keep in mind.
To conclude, walking is low cost. A good pair of runners or hiking boots and seasonally suitable clothing that is probably in one’s clothes closet. There are few obstacles if one is physically mobile. No bad weather, just poor clothing.
Walking is a daily adventure that has fully enriched my life. I can’t wait for tomorrow to arrive... So my response to those who ask me now: “Why do I walk?” is this: “why not walk?”