We learn to walk around the age of one - and what a delight that is for both the parents and child! And from then on - unless something unforeseen happens - we walk our whole lives.

The steps we take are uncountable. But let’s say that we take an average 3000 steps a day during 10 years. That would make close to 11 million steps. So in 80 years one might take around 88 million steps.

Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it?! So we take one step at a time, sometimes literally!

Let’s go through some of the things associated with walking, kind of dissect it to bits and pieces which together make up the whole. The list is alphabetical so you can easily find which section interests you the most. This list is for entertainment, but may also give you some thoughts to ponder.

**The Backwards Walking ** Who walks backwards, anyway?! You might trip into something and really hurt yourself! And besides, it looks foolish, doesn’t it?

Well, think about dancers. They do it, dancing. And why? Because they have full command of their bodies, that’s why. And of course to stay true to the choreography.

Walking backwards enhances your coordination skills, and leaves you free to observe your surroundings in a different way. Besides, it can be a useful thing. Like when waiting for the bus whose driver seems to be miscalculating your position. A couple of backward steps, and you’re in! A much more elegant way to get on the bus! Don’t trip though.

The Companion Human or animal, doesn’t matter. It’s nice to share a walk with another being. Being in company makes the evening walk a more delightful experience.

With a four-legged companion, you have to decide who’s the boss. It should of course be the human being, but surprisingly often it is not. You see dogs leading its master or mistress, pulling like its life depended on it. This can be downright dangerous at times, and if nothing else, may look a bit comical and foolish.

With a two-legged, sometimes the length of the legs present a problem. The person with longer legs may not understand that the shorter-legged needs to work harder to keep  up with the pace of the longer-legged. This is specially true if the length is a recent addition, like with teenage boys. But people usually find an agreeable pace, one that suits both. And one that preferably leaves some breath over for talking.

The Embarrassment of Slipping There are two main reasons for walking so carefully on the icy surface. One is the obvious physical one - we just don’t want to hurt ourselves, no matter what age we are.

The other is the mental one, divided by two. The fear of slipping - and the embarrassment of actually falling. And picking up the pieces - the stuff you were carrying, and your possibly quite brittle bones.

The First Steps We take them in general around the age of one. Between those very first steps while holding onto something till the last steps while also holding onto something, there is a whole lifetime of steps. But the first steps hold a special place in the hearts and memories of parents. And propel us all to move ahead in life.

The Gait It’s personal, and feels just the right for us. And when we lose it - for whatever reason, be it illness or injury  - we somehow become less. Your gait is a part of your personality, and we express ourselves and the mood we are in through the way we walk. Sometimes the mere act of walking - when the gait is 100 per cent there - can make us happy, even bring us to bliss. An example of a perfect gait: John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuT9Gzc6ZnM

What does your gait feel and look like? Are you inspired by any particular thing - music, surroundings, people, etc - to get your gait going?

The Knees Oh those knees, if only they could carry us our whole lives! And they may, but it is up to us to take care of them. And instead of complaining about the hurt in your knees that have served you for so long, why don’t you thank them, kiss them (if you reach them that is), and ask them to carry you a while longer. And do your best to make that happen.

**The Nordic Walking **

Have you tried them yet? Walking poles? Nordic walking is fitness walking at its best, and those poles are so good wintertime when its slippery! But of course any time of the year suits Nordic walking, and it sure does feel good to hit those poles on the dirt going uphill, and get that support and forward motion from them.

The Pace Slow or fast, sometimes you need to adjust your own pace to someone else’s. And sometimes that’s alright, sometimes far from it. Sometimes you just need to walk fast - whether it is your own choice, or attributable to being in a hurry - an extremely common thing - speed does take you there faster than walking slowly. You might even take a few running steps to accentuate the speed, which may at best produce a sense of euphoria.

You may also compete with yourself, bringing that pace to an extreme level - which the next chapter deals with. Or you may want to slow down, and just enjoy the surroundings and chat with a friend walking beside you. No pace is the right pace all the time.

The Power Walk So, not just the feet and legs. But your hands and arms too. And your hips. In fact your whole body, taking part of the act of walking. That is power walk! It may take some time to get going, but once you do, you can’t help feeling how powerful your stride is, and how relentlessly you are moving forward. Power walking uses more energy and thus more calories which may be nice, but isn’t the point really. The point is to feel powerful and energetic through your walking, and energize your day. Especially useful going uphill, in life or otherwise. Smoke Walking

** **Let’s say that staying behind the smell is not an option. You may be allergic to someone’s bad habit, or just generally disgusted with those vapors. So what do you do?

Do you increase your own pace while holding a scarf or something in front of your face for protection - and then pass the originator with a few quick steps, and hold that pace? Or do you cross the street in order to get rid of the problem - only to subject yourself perhaps to another hazard there? It’s a nuisance is what it is, but what can you do other than cope with it one way or another…

The Slippery Stuff that Life is Made of If you live in non-tropical area, you are bound to face some ice time, and all the troubles that come with it. When you are young, you are good at balancing yourself, and doesn’t matter that much if you happen to fall. You get up, heal, and go on living. But as you get older, ice and all the rest of those bothersome slippery surfaces become the enemy to fend against. If you fall, it’s not as easy to get up anymore, and besides it might even be embarrassing if you are into embarrassment. Nice it is not!

The Unbearable Wariness of Walking The carefree walk under the night sky watching those bright stars while moving yourself forward as if your legs had a conscious of their own and did all the work all by themselves, might be a very distant thing when walking on a surface with all sorts of obstacles that you just need to take into account. How annoying needing to be careful when all you want to do is go forward, and this happens of course especially wintertime when there is ice and snow and lack of sand on the walkway. And along with spring, arrives freedom. No need to be so careful anymore, and once the sand too is off - that sand that is a blessing wintertime but a nuisance at other times - the steps become more and more aligned with the spirit.

The Uncharacteristic Step This too happens especially wintertime. Being used to take long strides, it can feel frustrating needing to take those tiny steps forward in order to not to fall. It may feel totally out of character! But what can you do when you need to adjust to the prevailing circumstances? Yet all the while you might hear your inner voice complaining to you: this is not me walking!

But do keep on walking…

Updated 7.4.2019