Walking is Normal

So, today I went for a walk. It was not your average walk, considering I was out running (walking?) errands, those being namely going to the bank (post-budget committee meeting) and to the grocery store. We live within a half to a full mile from every major grocer, bank, fast food restaurant, and coffee shop in the area (heck, even our church is a mile away!), so I thought I'd take advantage of a breezy, warm mid-July (yay!) morning and get some stuff done, today.

Back before it was "green" to do so and before gas was up to $4 a gallon, I remember walking, or at least biking, to so many places when I was younger. Most of the places that come to mind are libraries, 7-11's, ice cream shops, grocery stores (for candy), and TCBY. I guess in those days if I wanted to get somewhere pre-driving, those were my only options. Once I had a car, the novelty of air-conditioned convenience blinded me to the bliss of pedestrial mobility (I totally made that up). It was only when I moved to Green Hills after college that my mind was re-awakened to the idea of using something besides an automobile (perhaps my own two feet?) to get where I needed to go. So much was within reach, I just had to walk (and I was a poor grad student). Novel idea, really.

Today was perfect. Well, despite the fact that I had to walk in the opposite direction about a half mile to go to the non-Publix U.S. Bank and then in the other direction to actually go to Publix. (Remember that one? ...whatever, it's the principle of the matter.) Here I was with my little reusable canvas grocery totes walking around Franklin and absolutely loving every second of it. (Okay, except for the part where the dump trucks drove by and conveniently exhaled a great deal of mess that I subsequently inhaled.)

When I left Publix with two full bags under both my arms, I must have looked a sight. I purposely made our list small considering the week is nearly over and we'll be at the lake for the Fourth, so the bags weren't awful. I made it halfway home when a very kind woman pulled up to me in her car and asked if I needed a ride somewhere. I was rather taken aback by the gesture, and when I said "no, thanks!" with as much cheer as possible, she prodded further. She said "it'd be no trouble - I'd love to help you out" and I told her it wasn't "a bother for me to walk on such a beautiful day" and she gave me a look of sympathy and drove off. I guess it hadn't occurred to her that I had walked to the grocery store by choice?

Before making it home, I dropped off a bill at the post office and thought about how happy I was to be walking. Whether it seemed crazy or not (why should it?), walking is absolutely normal. I mean, there are countries all over the world where walking is the norm and to do something as simple as getting food for the week involves working for it. And not just the working to make the money to buy it, but the effort that goes into getting it. In fact, the norm probably involves a much larger distance than I had to go today. I have it easy.

It reminds me of the whole "God gave you two legs, so use them" adage. Of course, that's typically used when you ask someone to do something for you when you could just do it yourself. But I think it rings true in these circumstances as well, that if I can, I should, at least as often as I can. It gives me perspective, saves money, gets me outside and active, and ends up helping the environment in the long run. What's not to love?