Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Come Walk With Me

For many years I have begun my day by walking for about 30 minutes at Park City, a local shopping center. It is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Before I retired, I just walked there Saturday mornings, but since retiring, I try to walk Monday through Saturday when we are at home. I don't know what it has done for me, but I keep doing it. However, every morning when I start walking I do ask myself why I am doing this. And by the time I finish, that question still is unanswered. I do have several regrets. First, I wish that I had recorded how far I've walked over the years. But maybe that would just make me feel even more exhausted. Another regret is that I've never become a "Park City Twalker" and actually met the many regulars that I have passed - or more correctly, that have passed me - over the years. There are so many regulars there and over the years many of them have come and gone. I often wander what happened to them. I suppose that at our age, many of them have passed away or have encountered health problems which prevent them from walking. I regularly see Sonny Social Studies. I am too embarrassed to ask him his name, but he is a retired Social Studies teacher from Hempfield who knows my name and waves to me when I see him. Then there is Barney Band Director who squares off his turns when he comes to a corner. You can't miss Curt Cut-Off who glides past you and then steps right in front of you. My carnal nature makes me want to lengthen my stride to step on the back of his foot when he does this. Then there used to be Wanda Wanderer who would wander all over the place, reading her newspaper as she walked. And of course you can't miss Barbara Backwards who always walks the wrong way, against traffic, usually with a friend who is chatting away. A Spanish duo, Lula and Lola, nearly sprint as they chat in Spanish at the same speed. Then there are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chaplain, a friendly couple, who we have often seen listening to walkers share their problems. I admire Percy Persevere, who must be nearly 90 and uses a walker. He regularly shuffles along. Carey Cane is a younger man who limps along while carrying his cane. Then there is the Retired Female Teachers Club, a group of about a dozen retired elementary teachers that clog up the halls as they walk and talk as a group. Phillip PPL (he is retired from PPL) walks with his towel while his wife sits and waits with her walker. Frieda Friendly looks like a kindly grandmother as she moves quickly through the center. Sometimes her husband comes and sits and waits with his walker. And of course there is Wilbur Wings who wildly swings his arms to his left and his right as he speeds his way along. Watch out or you will get hit as he passes you. It is an interesting group. You will see all ages from mothers pushing baby carriages to those with walkers. Many languages are spoken. Various cultures and races are represented. So why don't you join us? Dianne and I would be glad to share the pain with you. However, one of the "sad" sights is Louie Lotto. He isn't a walker, but regularly he can be seen sitting in front of the tobacco store scraping off his stack of lotto cards. When he has a winning card, he goes back in, cashes it in, and buys some more. He must go through a dozen or more each morning. I wonder how much he actually wins. Now come to think of it, I haven't seen him in a few days. Maybe he hit it big! I don't know, maybe he is the smartest of all of us. While we kill ourselves walking, he might be making a killing in the lottery. I guess there is an alternative for retired people.

1 comment:

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