Walkies

Surely I’ve mentioned at some point how Brits like to talk baby talk?  They don’t give gifts, they give ‘prezzies’.  Their swim suit costume is a ‘cozzie’.  They take their dog to go ‘walkies’.  It’s not a couple of quaint old dears speaking this way, it’s practically universal.  If it’s not baby talk it’s chop-talk: modern conveniences are mod cons, holidays are hols, the long vacation (school) is the long vac. It’s contagious of course and I’ve picked it up over the years. But this post isn’t about language, not spoken anyhow.

I’ve noticed the autumnal weather of late and the nights drawing in. It’s been a good summer and it occurred to me that we ought to be going for a walks before it gets too dark or too cold to enjoy the evening. So I made the suggestion and last Sunday we walked. Not too long a hike, just down to the beach, up past the headland, along behind the monument, about 30-40 minutes. It was pleasant and lots of people were about, in fact the pavement was downright crowded in places.

There is something about walking along hand in hand in this leisurely way that brings a communion that can calm the odd jangles of perverse moods and tiresome miscommunication.  I have found that difficult subjects or tangled thoughts can be best sorted on a walk.  When I was working at a stressful job, and particularly when I worked under a horrible boss, we walked many evenings.  I would look at the river and the sea and hope they would somehow help me keep my sanity; I know Bill worried for me at times.  I’m so grateful those days are long past and I can just enjoy the beauty for its own sake. We have time to wander or to stop and enjoy the view before we wind our way back home. However slowly we go we will reach our destination eventually. It might be partly due to holding hands, but it seems to me it’s more the walking in the same direction that is the secret. It’s almost a companionable form of meditation.

There were no knotty problems to unpick, nothing tough to decide, it was just a walk. It was good, though, to be reminded of this mysterious means of communication.  Just in case.