Walking

"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."

- Henry David Thoreau, from Walking (June 1862)

"When you're walking you notice things otherwise unseen--like mice in the fields--and you have to experience every step."

-Werner Herzog, from his discussion at UPenn (2007)

I have a confession to make--recently I've become addicted to walking. This habit was born from a gimmick I devised to get myself to exercise more: I decided that whenever I spoke on my cell phone I would go for a walk. I actually didn't realize how much time I spent on the phone until I realized how much I found myself walking.

It wasn't long after that that I became acutely aware of how anchored I felt by my stomach after meals. My newly named "digestive walks" cured this heaviness. Soon, after I accomplished anything--a reading, a writing, and/or an artwork--I thought, "I need to go for a walk to relax and clear my mind."

Sometimes, I got to jogging and felt this strange thing I'd only heard of before: "runner's high." A concept like this was alien to a person who had dreaded every stride of football practice in his adolescence. But here I was, racing along and feeling more connected to my human essence than through almost any other activity (we'll leave the champion of this hierarchy to the imagination). I thought, "Feral rabbits beware! I may be out for your blood so my tribe will have food tonight." Okay...so maybe I'm not Survivor Man just yet but I feel a little less wired and more inspired.

I've already had my share of run-ins with the police because of my new addiction. Recently I was actually pulled over for walking! A police officer stopped me and inquired about my name, my residence etc. and said that someone had ran out of the local diner the other night without paying and that my appearance fit the description! I thought I'd walked out of my house and into a Law and Order episode.

Pretty soon you may see me on Intervention (a TV show in which families intervene to save loved ones from drugs) with my sister saying, "Matt, walking isn't just hurting you it's hurting everyone you love. You need to come back to us! The neighbors don't like you pacing the streets at night."

Maybe I'll be like Chris McCandless or Forrest Gump and just keep going one day! See you all at Uarts later...or will I? (dramatic music please).