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Winter’s recently have been a reminder to me that I don’t get out and do enough stuff for my own good. Back in the day I would go skiing or jog or even bicycle ride sometimes. You just had to dress properly. Most of the time the roads and sidewalks didn’t have that much snow on them.

Well the car wouldn’t start the other day and I had to go to the bank to sign some stuff for a retirement plan that I was transferring from another financial institution that only sends me an obligatory update once a year. The trip would be mostly down hill and I could take a cab back if I can find one. There aren’t too many in a town this size.

So I decide I’ll just dress for it and walk. It felt really good and I didn’t have to apologize to the sidewalks for pounding the stuffing out of them like I did when I jogged. I used to wear out a pair of good jogging shoes every two months. And my knees used to complain a lot because most of the time you had to run on concrete especially in the winter. I hated running on tracks. It was too easy to quit.

Jogging through a neighbourhood or park was much more interesting and you had to find your way back so I only resorted to walking when I needed to rest. Once sufficiently recovered you just started jogging again. It gives you time to think and relieves a lot of built up tension, not to mention all the cardiovascular benefits.

Well guess what walking does that too. And the old brain doesn’t take time off in a walk either. In fact I think it takes over. The only negative is that multi-focal glasses aren’t real good for a walk because you are changing your focus point so often. I actually felt off balance. Next time I think I’ll just put them in my pocket and see what happens.

And on the walk I met Striker, a 4-yr. old lab, who was just as interested in me as I was in her. Her master was really a nice person too. He was very pleasant and had no problem talking to strangers.

And I went to Alfonso’s garage to set up the repair of that stupid car sitting in the driveway. Went across to the bank and signed the papers and had a nice discussion about bank staffing with my advisor in the bank.

I learned that the bank is like a totally different business during the day when everybody in the branch wants to work those hours. Two staff members greeted me with smiles and another asked the gal sitting in the reception area if I was taken care of and tellers were joking with customers. I had been in this branch 2 nights before and was pretty much ignored and I felt like I was treated like a rag. So I won’t be going to the bank at night or on the weekends anymore.

And I walked another 8 or 9 blocks up and down some big hills, did some grocery shopping and turned back the way I came looking for a cab. None in sight. Might as well start walking and maybe one will appear.

And I passed a complete stranger who looked at me and smiled and said hello and I did the same. Still no cab to be found. No bus service in this town. Ah what the heck, I’ll just truck it all the way home.

Lesson learned today. Hills driven in a car are 10 times longer and 10 times steeper than what you feel while driving. I had to stop a few times and adjust the groceries and slow down the old ticker and breathing, but boy did it feel good when I got home.

I think I’m gonna’ go for a stroll in the old neighbourhood again. I just think I’m going to find a better route than that hill and maybe I’ll use the car to get me close and then walk the rest of the way.

It’s very much like the difference between walking a golf course and riding a cart. You become one with your surroundings. It’s a much better game.

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