Those of you who know me well know that I am not, as Jane Austen may have put it, " a great walker." Sure, I can walk if I must, but it is not my first choice... well, pretty much ever. That's the beautiful thing about choices--when you don't have them, you do not need to rely on free will. I have been pretty much carless during the week. We shipped one of our cars and sold the other. Dan takes the car we have to work in Raleigh. That leaves me at home with the option of going by foot or by foot if I want to leave the house. Yes, you guessed it--I go by foot. It's painful, it's hot, and it's not my preference... but it is also pretty great!
The fun part about living close to the heart of a small town is that you can walk places. We are not so deeply embedded in suburbia that we can't reach town without a car. I have needed to get out of the house some, so necessity has mothered the opportunity to discover that plenty of places are within a 20-minutes leisurely walk. Among other destinations, I can easily reach a coffee shop, town hall, the police station, the post office, two drugstores, a wonderfully authentic Mexican Restaurant, an antique shop, the Saturday Farmer's Market, a couple of beauty parlors and the library.
Aside from a cat call from a passing motorist (yes, I think he meant me, as there was nobody else in sight...) and a few nervous moments when trying to cross main street without a crosswalk (the town isn't big enough to need them, I suppose), walking even felt safe. I have now outfitted myself with a travel pouch (that I can hide under my clothing) containing a house key, my inhaler, my library card, and anything else I think I may need when I set out. Strangely enough, I have yet to need the inhaler. That, and the fact that my clothes are fitting a bit more comfortably lead me to believe that this lack of options has been one of the better things that could have happened to me.
However, I am making one choice for myself that isn't a result of a lack of other choices. I have an appointment with a woman at the local Curves. I'm planning to join, which should give me opportunities to meet other local women and to do something positive for my health. They have already told me that they will start calling me if I haven't come in as planned, so I figure the accountability won't hurt either. Dan and I are thinking about investing in bikes. A bike may allow me to get a bit further or just get places faster. Either way, it will help me get around.
Wish me luck!
2 comments:
Oooo curves! Curves is fun. I think you will like it.
So far so good. I have missed one day that should have been my work-out day so far, so I think I am doing pretty well, really. Unfortunately the time that works best for me is not a very popular time with other ladies, so I am not meeting very many people, but the flip-side is that I have had a chance to talk to one or two of them at greater length. I am definitely going to try to stick with it.
Post a Comment