Bench Walking

I cannot remember a time in my life when walking wasn't a saving grace for me.  There were years when the bicycle was the primary mode of transportation and then along came the cars, but none every reached the freshness and beauty found in a simple walk.  During the last few decades I've spent some down days with knee aliments, back aliments, tumbles and bruises, and now surgery, but like my mother said, "This too will pass."  She was right.  I just wish mom were here to hear those words spoken from her ornery know-it-all oldest daughter, who has learned many  lessons, the hard way.  

A much needed bench for resting and reflecting.

My recent walks have been slightly slower and shorter than our dog, Lucy, would like to take, but I have assured her that the cooler early morning walks and longer walks are coming.  I tell her to be patient and enjoy the short walk around the block, but I'm really telling that to myself.  Two weeks ago I pushed myself walking and reached the edge of our flat land views in Kansas.       (I can do that where I live and still be in the city limits!)   I stood there in awe watching as storm clouds rolled by south of us.  I turned to walk home and thought, "Oh my goodness, I'm tired.  I hurt.  Why didn't I bring my cell phone.  What was I thinking wandering this far from home."  As panic set in thinking the worst, that I could hurt myself and have a set back in the healing stages of this "surgery" journey, I spied a bench hidden in the shadows of the trees.  A much needed cool breeze whispered across the prairie sending me to the comforts of the bench.  There I sat, relaxing, reflecting, and smiling.  Who knew how comforting a wooden bench could feel.

Sitting on the edge of the prairie.

I was greatly relieved to find that I recovered while sitting on the bench.  At last I attempted the walk home and along the way I stopped at another then another bench to rest.  So now I've learned to bench walk.  Yes, I walk from block to block and sometimes bench to bench, depending on the distance, the wind, or my mood.  Today I took a new step in bench walking.   I actually "bench pressed".  I put my foot on the bench, stretched, and pressed.  Then I put both arms on the back of the bench and pressed like a push up.  Ha, my body laughed at me, "You're healthier than you think."  I wanted to tell someone how light my worries became when I discovered that I could turn my bench walking into bench pressing.  What relief to feel healthier.  So to my Yoga friends at Genesis, to Abby at Core Connections,  to my golfing friends out playing golf today, I miss you all, but I'll be back this summer energized and healthy.

Now if I could just convince Lucy that bench walking and bench pressing are fun.