A Wander with Wonder

Over the past 12 years I have made it part of my exercise routine to take a 20 minute walk around the block. It started as an easy means to shed excess weight, and has morphed into what I now refer to as a wander. In the beginning, I would get dressed into the outfit of an exerciser and stridently walk as fast as I could with arms swinging and mind set to review all the worries that could possible enter. This was also the time to vent out things that made me angry, and I marched out all the little petty injustices that seemed to short circuit my mood. A brisk power walk truly became my stress buster. Little by little though, I seemed to build up a tolerance for the walking, and instead of focusing on what was going on in my own mind, I started noticing what was going on around me. The sounds of birds, the sights of new flowers in a neighbor's garden, the moon glistening on snow, all caught my fleeting attention. As years went by dancing, pilates, and biking supplemented the walk for fitness purposes, and meditation and reflection became better channels to relieve stress. As I took my walking stroll today, I realize that this is my time to watch the world around me as I float by. I watch the seasons change as evidenced by the activity of the birds and squirrels, the sky changes with colors and clouds, even the same neighborhood changes as people are ever improving their houses and yards...  I notice and appreciate. Everything seen on my wander enchants me; today it was a huge toadstool that looked like a brown and white beach umbrella. I feel like a child again as I wonder about all the sights and sounds that come my way. There is so much to see and hear and notice, that any walk of worry now seems like a good wander spoiled.