They say I should walk on an indoor track. It would be flat, dependable, and safe…good for old people.
So I ask, when I go for this walk, will wind bring scent of spruce and fir? Will white cloud puffs billow overhead or sometimes flatten into a gray canvas waiting for the brush? Will gulls circle expecting a herring feast? May a pink-orange glow sweep the sky over a blue lake at sunset?
Might a dragon fly or hummingbird zoom by? Will bulrush and blue flag border occasional puddles, with a surprise hatch of wood frogs? Or how about finding bluebells, harebells and British Soldiers among rocks? Could a cat, dog, wolf or bear cross my path? Will chickadees follow me, chirping as they do along my wooded path or mystery warblers whose names Molly has yet to teach me? May I walk the dog on this walking track?
Animal tracks tell stories in the cold whiteness of winter. Ah, but there may be dangerous ice underfoot! In the proposed community center I could instead walk indoors, in heated air, well contained with interior sounds and smells, level underfoot, temperature controlled, round and round 1-5 times per week, safely and consistently, repeatedly round and round in a climate controlled, dependable and safe space.
What a depressing way to “go for a walk” with the exchange of nature’s variety out of doors for indoor monotony! It converts an interesting exercise into a mindless chore!
Walking track? Not for me nor my children and grandchildren. Let us wobble on the lumpy bumpy shoreline. Let us trudge uphill, downhill, on streets through neighborhoods and by shops in town, or on a wooded path beside swamps and rocky outcrops. We prefer the many paths in beautiful Cook County. No walking track is needed.
And forget not that the earth
delights to feel your bare feet and
the wind longs to play with your
hair. Kahlil Gibran
Geri Jensen, physical therapist,
and friends
Grand Marais
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