Simple Lessons Learned: #3. Walking

My time at MacDowell taught me a lot about myself and how I work and live. Every few days I'll post a simple lesson I learned in the woods outside Peterborough, NH.

Walking is unlike any other form of meditation or any other form exercise. It belongs in its own category.

Walking alone is not the same as sitting alone or walking on a treadmill. Walking outside puts a steady stream of images in front of us, many of which immediately suggest questions.

I tried not to walk the same route twice. And I took at least two walks a day, one before breakfast to get me going and another just before sunset around 3:30 or 4 to capture some sunshine and refresh after several hours' work.

I generally walked alone although occasionally I had the pleasure of a walking partner such as Honor, Teri, Alice or Sarah. Interesting. It just dawned on me that only the women were interested in joining me for walks. Not sure what that's about. Is walking without a destination too non-directed for men?

Hmm...

I never knew what I might come upon in those woods. But each new discovery sparked my imagination in unexpected ways. I'll never forget when one morning I came upon an amphitheatre built out of stones in the middle of the woods. I had not heard about it before my discovery so to me, it appeared almost as a ruin to an archeologist. Wow! Here's a pic.