A few weeks ago, Ryan and I went to a Dinty Moore reading up at the college where we teach. Moore read from a few different pieces of writing, and one of his longer pieces was one that he is still working on– a piece about walking. In the essay, he went back and forth between excerpts from Henry David Thoreau’s essay, “Walking,” and his own thoughts on the subject.
His reading definitely got me thinking about my own walking habits. It’s funny– when Ryan and I moved to Altoona, we bought a house that is only about a mile and half from the campus. We were so excited– we thought, “We can walk to school every day!” Rightttttt.
By the second week of school, our bags had filled up with books, and papers, and handouts, and who knows what else, so much so that walking seemed out of the question.
But was it? Is it?
I feel like I’m always making excuses for why not to walk. My bag is too heavy. The extra time will take away from my class prep. It will be too dark on the way home (that actually is a valid reason– I’m not done teaching until 6:45, which is way past dark here in PA. Still, there are definitely ways to work around that). And, now that we’re approaching winter, my favorite excuse: it’s too cold!
All of these excuses have some validity to them, but the truth is, I know that I should walk to campus. But while I know that I should do it, and while it sounds good in theory, when it comes time to actually do it, a quick ride in the car sounds so much more appealing than a 40 minute walk, lugging my books and papers.
I used to walk to school all the time. When I was in grad school, securing a parking pass was a difficult feat, so I just accepted the fact that I’d be walking or taking the public transportation. The walk was actually longer than our one to school now– a little over 2 miles. Still, I didn’t mind it. It gave me a chance to sort out my thoughts, to think about what needed to get done once I got to school. I listened to music and podcasts. I thought about revisions I might like to make to whatever writing I was working on that week. It was very enjoyable.
So then– what gives? Why has it been so hard to make myself walk to campus now that we’re living even closer than before? I think part of it has been my running schedule. While I was training for the half-marathon, I tried to limit my other physical activity. And walking to school doesn’t sound nearly as fun if you’ve already run 7 miles earlier that day!
I’m not going to make some blog-promise about walking to school from now on. Trust me– I’m probably still going to drive! But maybe I’ll start slow– aim for walking up one day a week, if the weather is nice. That seems like a goal I can try to reach.
One of the things I liked the most about Moore’s essay was that he talked about how much walking can build a sense of community. I think he’s absolutely right. I walk our dogs two or three times a day, for anywhere from a 1/2 a mile to 2 or 3 miles (they have a lot of energy). Every time I take them out, I’m almost taken aback by the friendliness of the people we pass on the streets. The move to Altoona has been hard for us– we haven’t met very many young people, and are finding it hard to make friends. We definitely miss the days of grad school, when you were surrounded by tons people just like you– young, poor, and exhausted by school (but generally only a few beers away from a good time). Upon entering grad school, I was greeted with an almost automatic group of friends, and that was really nice.
Here in Altoona, there is definitely more of a sense of solitude, isolation even. Our families are far away, as are our friends.
BUT. When I take Baxter and Ella out, I start to feel more…connected. When you take regular walks, you start to notice other people’s routines. I know when certain dogs will be out in their yard, and when they’ll be barking at us from behind the front door. I know which houses have cats lazing on the porch. There’s a certain house that always emits the smell of fresh laundry right around noon. I know the construction workers at a house up the street from ours will make fun of my small dog (“You call that a dog??”), and that I will laugh, while thinking, “Jerks.” At 4:30, a group of middle school boys will start a pickup football game at the local park, taunting each other and horsing around until about 6. At 5:00, the streets will begin to darken, and the houses will start to light up, various dinner smells escaping and drifting through the air.
Walking the dogs has given me a chance to learn the streets of Altoona, to think about the town not just as “where we’re living for right now,” but as a community. It has shown me that, however alone we might feel here, we’re not. There are other people out and about, just like us– walking, working, waiting to go home at the end of a long day.
Hope you have a great Sunday! I’ll be back for a post at lunch…with maybe some decoration pics as well??
