After losing the use of his car, author Stephen Altschuler was forced to walk. He writes, “I began to discover a world full of sensory richness, perceived formerly only with senses dull as a neglected kitchen knife from run-around city living. Speed had inured me to think of the destination at the expense of everything in between. As a consequence, my mind raced as well, anticipating more than experiencing the moment at hand. And with only a finite number of moments available in this lifetime, I found I had missed most of them.”
“Now you might say, so what? What’s so important about living each moment, anyway? The answer lies in the effects I enjoyed from slowing down: less anxiety, more peacefulness, being clearer in thought and deeper in breath. Life sparkled with more joy, interest, and appreciation, as if some part was returned—a part that, missing but unnoticed, made the whole feel unsettled, off-centered, incomplete. And all this from being literally back on my feet again.”*
Perhaps, getting places has become too easy. We pack every day with short little car trips, not taking the time to savor the world around us. With the cost of gasoline soaring, it sounds like we all need to walk more, rediscovering where and when we live.
* Passage from "Sacred Paths and Muddy Places: Rediscovering Spirit in Nature” by Stephen Altschuler, published in 1993
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