This year I decided that I would walk more, partly as an exercise discipline, partly as an attempt to reduce my carbon footprint in some small way. However, by planning my day without including 4 wheels has meant that without making much effort, I have immediately slowed my pace of life to a rhythm where I can observe and ponder,stop and listen, reflect, plan and dream. Sometimes I meet people along the way, in a 36 hour period this week I met 6 people I hadn't spoken to for years...interesting, makes you think what you miss when you are travelling at 30mph with your concentration on other things.
Here is a list which for my own benefit, I'm going to note down.
Met J who I knew from Yeo Doc days, last saw him about 4 years ago, at least, chatted about our families,the NHS :( and gardening....
Walked up "Lovers Lane" for the first time, on Hendford Hill. Met lady with friendly rescue dog, had a chat about dogs in general!
Had lunch with K in the coffee shop, purely spontaneous, caught up with her life again!
Went into town, met H and son in a charity shop, again not seen her for 2 years of so. She now has a job(s) which she enjoys. Her son is growing up fast!
A father walking away from the toy shop with his small child, having an almighty tantrum...oh the joys of parenthood!
Red Nose day, people were smiling in the town, some guy was singing in the bandstand with a violinist accompanying. Sounded fantastic!
Walked home across the Rec. Beautiful minature daffs outside the college. I stopped to admire.
Watched a pigeon fly into a fence and injure itself...not very nice looking at its bleeding chest...but made me think of when life hurts, so I went all pensive for a while and watched it...whilst stalking it for a photo in case, well just incase...I wanted to use it for some illustration at some point...why.....sick...It's on my phone and I haven't worked out how to transfer it off my memory card yet...but at least I am using my phone as a camera too, so I'm getting better. I have this big memory card with about 4 photos on it (!) and some Arabic music for when Samar rings me!!!
I digress...sigh...
I walked behind a group of teenagers and wondered about peer pressure, watched their body language, listened to their ***language and wondered, why...and felt old and then maternal and then a little sad...
What is it about mobile phones...EVERYWHERE you look people are talking...but are they? What are they really saying? Talk to me, I need to feel needed, that you know I am available to you whenever you call? I am here, but I'm not REALLY here because I can't hold you or watch your expressions or see what you see. But you can have this distant bit of me, this cheapened version..What did we do before mobiles?
I watched a boy kicking a football alone on a court, a father playing tennis with his son...people walking their dogs at the end of the day as the evening approaches and the sky changes into a deepening blue.
Anyway... a little taster of my walk and my meanderings....
Came home and sat down to watch "Babette's Feast" OH MY WORD, a film to make you think BIG TIME! Might actually buy my own copy and use it for in a discussion at our home group sometime after everyone has watched it! Won't give away too much on here...
1 comment:
Hullo there :o)
I used to love walking round the town we lived in before moving here. I do in a way miss that sort of walking,I had very small smalls then & they were in their buggly,I would stroll along,peeping into gardens & windows,in a nice way lol!I used to speak to so many people!like you I discovered that by being out there walking on the pavements it was opportunity to strike up so many conversations,some folks were bemused I think at first,but soon came to stop again to talk to me.
I had to learn to drive when we moved out to where we are now but I do make sure when I am sat in the car,at traffic lights is a good example,I allow a time to look at the people passing by on the pavements. When I get to town I always smile & say hullo to people too,if we go to the nearby villages to shop they are very sociable places with everyone nattering all the time.
Like yourself I wonder if those glued to the mobiles are missing some deep connection with the joy real interaction gives us...
GTM x x x
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