Friday November 21st, 2008
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Walk Talk #10—Learning to Take a Walk
Posted by Walk Talk on April 18, 2007 - 5:52am.
When I lived in Brooklyn, NY, I walked everywhere, but I didn't go for walks. Now that I live in Atlanta, GA, I don't walk anywhere (unless walking through the parking lot to the Publix counts), and I have to learn the art of going for a walk.
I live in Grant Park, a historic neighborhood filled with 1920s bungalows and gingerbread-trimmed Victorians in the shadow of Atlanta's skyline. There are plenty of sidewalks, and even a gorgeous park within three blocks of my house. It's the type of neighborhood that inspires a postprandial stroll, particularly if you're heading in the direction of Hank's Ice Cream. So in honor of Walk Talk, I gathered up my husband, Chip, and our 5-month-old daughter, Sadie, and went for a walk.
But not just any walk. As I mentioned, I've been trying to adjust my mindset that a walk doesn't have to actually go anywhere. There's not necessarily a destination or a purpose, such as picking up the laundry or getting groceries. To help me, I picked up a copy of the book Atlanta Walks, which has 50 walks in the Atlanta area. Luckily, there was one in my neighborhood that conveniently started on our street.
Our walk, courtesy of the book, took us through Grant Park, past Zoo Atlanta and the Cyclorama, and past plenty of historic homes, including one that Margaret Mitchell once owned, and the birthplace of Atlanta mayor William Hartsfield, whose name is cursed by airline passengers everywhere.
The best part, though, wasn't following the little map and stopping to read the tidbits of information. It was seeing our neighborhood up close and personal, rather than flashing by the window of my car. It was stopping to admire a rosebush, saying hello to the neighbors as we ambled down the street, and, as the light faded, the vicarious pleasure of peering into people's windows (come on... I know you do it too!).
After all, that's what the art of walking is all about. And if there's ice cream at the end of the journey, then so much the better.
Atlanta, GA
My great-grandmother's name was Sadie. You made me think of her. Thanks!!
The other day I was talking to a friend about how there are no sidewalks anymore in a lot of neighborhoods. Years ago, you could stroll down sidewalks, avoiding cars and meet your neighbors and chat. Did doing away with them help to foster our sedantary way of life?
We swapped places, Jessica. I was in Atlanta and then moved to New York. It certainly took my body a while to adjust to all the walking here. But I still miss Sunday strolls through Piedmont Park!
Harley: I'm sure the lack of sidewalks has impacted how much people walk. There's a very funny part of Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods" (About his attempt to hike the entire Appalachian Trail) where he tries to walk to a store but is foiled by 4-lane highways, lack of sidewalks, and other deterrents that make it impossible to get anywhere without a car. As for my neighborhood, there are plenty of sidewalks, but alas, they're in a terrible state of disrepair. You'll notice in the photo I'm standing in the street... you pretty much have to walk in the street (especially if you're pushing a stroller) because the sidewalks are broken and also people put their Herbie Curbies (garbage cans) in the middle of the sidewalk, which makes it quite the obstacle course.
Statuesque One: It can ideed be hard to find time for a leisurely pursuit like taking a walk... I tend to do it in the middle of the day when I really need a break. Even if you've got a ton of work to do, sometimes going for a 15-20 minute walk can refresh you and make you more productive when you return. I do my best thinking on walks (and in the shower, but that's another story). If you think of it as a necessity to being creative and productive, it's easier to justify it!
JimmyJames- That's funny that we "traded spaces". And funny that you had the opposite adjustment problem! I miss being able to walk to run an errand... the last time I decided to walk to get some milk (at the CVS, the only store within walking distance) I was dismayed to discover all they had were gallon jugs, which I then had to lug home.