Walking: Awareness and a Sense of Place

The weather has been so capricious over the last few weeks it’s difficult to think about how to dress.  One morning it’s a pair of thermal leggings, a wool turtleneck and a double cashmere sweater buttoned up to the chin and the next a light coat and a cotton jersey.

On one of the mild evenings, after a few days of bitterly cold weather, I decided to walk home after a dinner in mid-town.  New York is always magical at night when the darkness is illuminated with sparking lights many installed for the holiday season and left in place through the dark month of January. In the plazas between buildings the trees are wrapped with lights and there is the glow from the column of pine trees that are installed up and down Park Avenue, from the top of the Upper East Side at 96th Street to 45th Street, just above Grand Central Station.

My walk was along Fifth Avenue, past all the security that now encompasses Trump Tower, past the Apple Store that is open twenty-four hours a day, 365 days of the year and then to Madison Avenue. Walking up Madison is like visiting a fashion exhibition as all the designer couture shops are there, one after another.  This year the style is flowers and vibrant colors. One would never think there are any problems in the world based on the apparent gaiety, frivolity and sassiness in these designs.

I began to think about walking.  If you have attended a Buddhist temple you know that part of the service includes walking meditation.  After sitting with your eyes closed for a certain period of time, the congregation stands and with hands folded walks around the temple in a circle.  Now your eyes are open and you are aware of your surroundings.

In Britain the term “ constitutional walk” is common.  The Brits love to be outdoors, in their gardens, walking by the sea or in a park with a thermos of tea and a few sandwiches. A daily walk is part of their heritage.

In Laconia I walk downtown and on the WOW trail.  Driving down a street doesn’t allow the same awareness of the geography or the nuances of the surroundings. Then there are the serendipitous discoveries. I once found a piece of furniture at Goodwill on a walk through town.  The little antique and consignment shops that come and go are filled with treasures and it’s difficult to escape without a purchase, a covered dish, linen napkins with hand embroidery, and a pair of vintage earrings. In the early morning I enjoy the quiet of the place.

I haven’t had an opportunity to really explore the second phase of the WOW trail, but look forward to walks there in the spring. How encouraging that one can walk from Laconia to Belmont on a path designed for walking and biking without traffic.

A few years ago I spent six months living and working in Greenville, South Carolina.  The downtown had been renovated and there were a number of restaurants and interesting shops. Notwithstanding, I learned, shortly after I arrived, that this was an automobile culture. Meeting someone for coffee meant jumping into the car and driving around the block several times until a parking place could be found.  Dry-cleaning could be dropped off through a drive-by window and just touching the button on the door that automatically opens the window.

I began walking and got an entirely new sense of Greenville.  After dinner people would drive me back to the parking lot where my car was parked and were quite bemused that I had walked to meet them.  In the early evening I would walk through the suburban neighborhood where I was staying, not seeing one other person. I missed Manhattan. I missed walking to the gym, to the subway, to do my marketing. I missed the sense of community I feel in my neighborhood.  Waving to the man who owns the shoe repair shop, smiling at the woman who manages the dry cleaner and running into my neighbors who live in my building.

There is nothing quite as meditative as a walk. When were the last time you walked through downtown Laconia?  You’ll be surprised at the people you will meet and what you might find in a shop along the way.  Stop for a coffee. Stop and have lunch. There is no better way to get a sense of place.