"All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see all things whole."
-- Hal Borland
I hate suburbia! Sure, the lawns are nice, but you can't walk anywhere, except up and down the lanes filled with "pasteboard starter castles." Give me small towns, college towns, even city neighborhoods, where the important "third places" of life, like libraries, groceries, coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants and pubs, are all within walking distance of home and work.
Besides being good exercise, walking is a great way to see what's really going on out there. You can take your time, stop and look at things, cut down side streets and up alleys, crisscross through parks, and explore the world at your own pace. Just don't spoil a good walk by doing that dorky-looking race walking with your arms pumping furiously like pistons and a grim look on your face like you're standing in the rain, constipated, at a funeral.
You say it takes too much time to walk places? Well, look at it this way: Walking on a regular basis can literally add years to your life. The time you lose by not driving to the store, you more than make up for when you're still here enjoying life rather than residing six feet under.
So, today, walk. That's it. Walk a mile or two and see what happens, see what you see. And, oh yeah -- enjoy!
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