Sturdy Gal Reverie
On Tuesday I walked to the place where I do peer grief counseling. Then I walked home. Wednesday I walked to my Spanish class at the local community center. Then home, with a detour to our neighborhood creek. Yesterday I walked to the dentist, then home; last night my husband and I walked to a restaurant, ate, and then walked home again through the dusk. It was a warm beautiful evening, and everyone was out in the town streets. Groups of kids called to each other from corner to corner, laughing; at table after table along the sidewalk people were eating their dinners.
I don’t count steps, figuring that every one is a good idea. And since I use up a lot of intent simply getting out the door in clothes, shoes, and a good hat, I don’t want to add the burden of any goal beyond “Go.” Once I start, I just put one foot in front of the next until I arrive at wherever I wanted to be.
Sometimes it’s hard going, sometimes almost effortless; sometimes my feet bug me, sometimes I may float a few centimeters above the ground, who knows. On occasion I stay lost in my mind until I return, but most often I pass something or someone who makes joy balloon in my heart out of nowhere. A white flower on a tree, or an old man walking with his hands clasped behind his back. The particular burble of my neighbor’s fountain.
All I mean to say is this morning I am glad I can walk, and here’s a video of a tiny suburban forest for you. Birds sing, a black cat shows up, the train whistles, and light ripples on the creek below.
Resistance
If you find you have some extra funds, this race in Wisconsin could really use them.
Have a wonderful weekend! P.S. I didn’t have to have a root canal and I was as happy about that as I am about the irrepressible refulgence of nature.
30 Responses
Hello Lisa, I am glad your tooth was ok. I once had to undergo a root canal with no anesthetic, and it came under the category of Not Much Fun.
Your nature walk was idyllic–the one discordant note was all that graffiti by the base of the bridge. I hope that black cat was the familiar of a witch come to cast a spell to punish the graffiti vandals.
–Jim
No anesthetic? That sounds like fuel for recurrent nightmares. So sorry! And you know, I didn’t even notice the graffiti. I wonder if that’s because the town feels so like my home? I might imagine the graffiti artists as someone I know? Fuel for thought;)
Delight Number One, your writing: “I don’t count steps, figuring that every one is a good idea. And since I use up a lot of intent simply getting out the door in clothes, shoes, and a good hat, I don’t want to add the burden of any goal beyond ‘Go.'”
Delight Number Two: getting lost in your Vimeo account on full-screen mode, being able to see and hear you show me about yoga, and oh yes, the delightful stroll down that wooded path.
Delight Number Three: thank you for taking my mind off yesterday.
Thank you so much. I hadn’t meant to revisit my old Vimeos but I’m glad they were fun, and a momentary diversion. Shoes on, baby, shoes on.
It’s just that I saw “Next >” on the screen right after the woodland stroll, so I clicked it.
Thanks for bringing attention to our race in Wisconsin! It’s an important one that has unfortunately attracted Musk’s attention and money.
I hope we can, with grassroots efforts, combat Musk this time. Very sorry it’s your neighborhood that’s been made a battlefield.
I loved the video and the black cat. What a pleasant urban park.
Thank you:)
I felt as if I were walking alongside you. Thanks for the interlude.
You are so welcome. I love it when people share their specific moments where everything is beautiful, before we plunge into whatever work for good we’ve taken on.
Lovely video…greenery, water and birdsong:-))
A good reminder that walking is very good for us…especially out in nature.
Especially out in nature, even if that nature is really only a tiny triangle carved out of suburban sidewalks xo
How fortunate to live in a place with such beautiful walks to be had, where so much is also within walking distance. I miss that so much! Thank you for sharing your lovely walk with us, Lisa. The cat looks like he’s wearing a collar and must be someone’s pet — I hope he can find his way back home.
I’ve followed Smart Politics for years and it should have occurred to me weeks ago to mention them here, but I’ve been dealing with too much. I apologize for the lateness. Karin Tamerius is the creator of the “Angry Uncle Bot” which was featured in the New York Times during the last reign of you-know-who: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/18/opinion/thanksgiving-family-argue-chat-bot.html I attended a couple of her Zoom classes way back when and they helped me at least learn how to stay present and communicate better with those who don’t think the way I do, even if the actual practice of such things takes much practice to perfect… I hope her writings will help someone. https://karintamerius.substack.com/
Nature can be so healing. I love your little wooded path full of birdsong. Have a beautiful weekend.
Of course I forgot to include the actual website where you can access the trainings if interested… I’m sorry. There’s a lot available in the Resources section for those of us who are struggling to hang onto relationships with friends and loved ones. https://www.joinsmart.org/
Jess, this is great additional information for anyone who lives in the nexus where you have a shot at convincing someone, because they trust you, that what’s happening is not in any way in their best interest. And my neighborhood has grown much more walkable in the past few decades, which I really appreciate. That park is tiny, but, the towns invest in its upkeep, and local schools do projects about local species there, and as a result it becomes a richer and richer experience as time goes on. I hope you can move to somewhere more walkable at some point.
Thank you so much, Jess, for sharing the Smart Politics link. Very valuable in these tumultuous times. I have been struggling to even look at the news – the information you shared is just what I needed to see. I have also shared it with others.
Lisa, thank you for the wonderful walk with you along the wooded path – forest bathing outside your door. Just wonderful.
Thank you for sharing your lovely walk. I especially enjoyed hearing the birds. And thank you for sharing the link to donate–done!
You’re welcome, and thank you SO MUCH for the donation! I try to really dive into which ones will matter, and this one is a great one. Can’t know if we will win, but the fight itself is important here and we have a good shot at it.
I love everything about this post. You have the gift of being able to express yourself so beautifully. I’m happy to get to know you through your writing.
I really appreciate that. Thank you.
Woodside?!!
What a Beautiful passagiata!
Loved the train toot‼️
Ah, no, I live on the flatlands. But I shall call this little walk my passagiata from now on!
GOOD!
At almost 70 and knowing friends who have already had illness change the ways in which they live, I repeat to myself as I open my front door, “I walk because I can.”
I love this. Thank you.
Oh, I know that park! I can almost smell the Northern California spring (and miss it!). Thanks so much for sharing this.
You’re so welcome! Come on up sometime:). And yes, that smell of everything growing in this brief window of after rain and before dry summer. I love it, and had forgotten to notice it. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful woodland landscape and walk. It is refreshing to be outside enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. A paved walkway is ideal and you are fortunate to have it close by.
You are so welcome. And I am fortunate as heck!