A walking man

I recently had a medical checkup that produced some surprisingly good results, which is always nice. Despite a hideously indulgent diet - especially since I became a parent - I've not yet reached the stage in life where I have to cut back on the finer things in life, and can just barrel on ahead as usual. (The lovely wife, while obviously happy with the clean bill of health, is still hugely annoyed that I haven't learned a goddamn thing when it comes to my diet.)

It was particularly surprising because I don't really do a hell of a lot of exercise. I've never belonged to a gym of any kind, and seem to be lacking the sheer thrill of narcissism that leads to outrageous feats of physical exercise. I got too many books to read to worry about that stuff.

But I do walk. I walk a lot.

I've always enjoyed going on a good walk, every since I was a kid. I've never been much for running, but if I keep to a steady languid pace, I feel like I could walk forever. I do greatly overestimate how well I would do at the Long Walk, but sometimes I really do feel like I could walk for much longer than most people.

And I have walked for hours and hours, and not just on big hikes through the big country. Never anything competitive, and never anything organised, because that always takes the fun out of everything. Just walking for the sake of it.

Apart from the physical benefits - it really does feel the one exercise that we are evolutionarily designed to do, and I do very duly heartened after going off on a good ramble - it's the mental state of mind that comes with the slow transport of your own legs,. Having the time to actually take in all your surroundings, down to the merest speck of dirt, while also losing yourself in your own head during a long hike. 

My mind wanders far further than my legs can ever take me, as long as I'm not distracted by the burn in the thighs or anything like that. I think big thoughts and small, and sometimes I don't think about anything at all.

At least 80 percent of the ideas that end up published on this blog come from these walks - the idea for this one came while I was on the track down to Blockhouse Bay beach the other night. And the silent trod can also help get my thoughts in order about how much I enjoyed a film or book or other piece of media (one of the reasons I still love going to movies on my own is that I'm not pressured to have an opinion as soon as the credits roll, and can let things percolate).

It's a dynamite way to problem solve, and de-stress, and just feel at peace with the world around you. Taking one step at a time, every day, on this walk for life.