Walking

Our chief form of exercise is our daily walk around the neighborhood ... which frequently turns into a social event also, because we know — more or less — the folks around our block as we make our daily, half-hour round. How folks are, who is missing, how everybody is doing on this latest check!

So in thinking about this latest blog and Cloak piece, I decided that “walking” might be an interesting topic because I remembered that somewhere in my study bookcase was a little book titled Walking, a re-publication of a lecture given by Henry David Thoreau in 1851, also given as an article in The Atlantic in 1862.

Thoreau is famous for his impassioned embrace of life in the woods near Walden Pond. And this little book on walking has become a classic celebrating a daily walk in nature. And feeding one’s spirit. Let me share a couple of quotes with you now:

I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least — and it is commonly more than that — sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements. (p. 60)

No wealth can buy the requisite leisure, freedom, and independence which are the capital in this profession. It comes only by the grace of God. It requires a direct dispensation from heaven to become a walker. (p. 4)

Well, we don’t walk four hours a day. But we do have our “long walk” up to about 40 minutes, and we feel good and virtuous afterward. And again, have checked on all our neighborhood friends in the process!

We — as well as Thoreau — highly recommend this practice to you for both your physical health and your spirit.