A love letter to long walks
If you ever feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders; as if the Old Testament God, the mad at you God, making you – individually – pay for the sins of humanity, is forcing down on you a physical mass of sadness you cannot seem to push uphill anymore, take yourself on a long walk. I am being so serious. Take yourself on a long walk. It cannot be a short walk. I’m saying a long walk. You have to do it right. Take yourself on a long walk. Embrace what it means to be on a long, aimless walk on your own. Allow yourself to feel childlike wonder; to not know where your next turn is going to be, how long you’re going to take, what you’re walking towards. Walk towards nothing. If you go on a long walk, the weight of the world – now, I’m not saying it will disappear, but – will be lighter. You can’t go wrong. As you go, make sure you say hello (even if just in your head) to anyone who walks past you. Try to imagine what kind of walk they’re on. Is it a long walk? Do they look like they know where they’re going? Acknowledge them with a nod. Pet every four-legged creature who will let you. Be motionless and silent for as long as you can if you see a fox. Allow the cat to cross. Count the magpies; then remember you don’t actually know for sure how many magpies are supposed to mean each thing; salute the magpies anyway. Look into people’s windows. How tall are their ceilings? What art is on the wall? Are the lights on? Are they home? Consider whether you could live in that house. If you are lucky enough to be able to do this on a canal, then look into every single barge, look inside them, around them, look at their roofs and where they touch the water. Take your time. A canal walk is a special treat for us natural-born scavengers. See what kind of clever solutions people found for problems you had never even thought about. How do they lock their bikes? What kind of food tins have they repurposed as plant pots? Are their gardens edible? Think about what it would be like to change address, but not house, every other month. Observe other people observing. Are they taking it all in? Are they childlike wondering too? Get rid of any time pressure. Do not make any post-walk plans. The walk is the plan. Walk until you don’t want to walk anymore. Then walk more. Admire the infinite ways in which people can live their lives. Think back to the most recent film you’ve enjoyed. Tell yourself what you liked about it as if you were telling someone who hasn’t watched it. Contemplate the beauty, the inevitability, of vulnerability. Remember not to walk under scaffolding and avoid the three drains in a row – it’s bad luck! Ring someone you love; someone who will appreciate talking to you when you are not in a rush to finish the call. Ask about their day. Tell them you love them and what you love about them. Pick up a snack. Eat something you wouldn’t normally eat unless you were on a long, aimless walk. You can stop to eat it, or you can have it on the go. Remember health is a privilege you should never take for granted. Gather your thoughts on free will. Treat yourself to an overpriced coffee if you get the chance. Take pictures of things you come across and think you would appreciate looking back at when you’re no longer on a long walk. Funny writings on the wall, pretty things, majestic looking ducks, stickers, people holding hands, interestingly shaped furniture left outside, unceremoniously disposed of Christmas decorations. Send a couple of those pictures to a friend – maybe they would also like to see it, it won’t take too much of their time in any case. Make sure your clothes are comfortable. Don’t give your body an excuse to be too tired. Think of a song you know the lyrics to by heart. Sing it. Say five things you’re thankful for. Ask anyone you see who looks like they need help if they need help. Help them if you can. Give them directions. Smile encouragingly. Look at all the different trees. How long have each of them been where they are? Have they been anywhere else? Have you ever heard of anyone being able to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders as they think about the age of a tree? Don’t be afraid to go back on yourself. Take a different turn. Fail again. Fail better. Never be too proud to redirect. Ask the important questions. Can you count backwards from 100 in increments of 7? Is the metric system objectively better than the imperial? Do you feel displaced because you were never able to develop roots when you were a child? To feel safe? Could that be why you feel most at home on a long walk nowhere? Will that always be the case? Think of Sisyphus. Take a deep breath. Google the magpie rhyme. “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a story yet to be told.” Good afternoon, Mr Magpie! How’s your wife? Pick up a trinket if you see one. Take it home. Think about names you don’t like because you once met someone you didn’t like with that name. Text your best friend a piece of random trivia. Did you know Mike Tyson had a Mao tattoo? Attach photographic evidence. Why does Mike Tyson have a tattoo of Mao’s face on his arm? Where has the weight of the world gone?
