I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit.- Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau believed in walking, especially in natural places like forests and meadows. He wrote that natural places deepened our understanding of the world. It’s telling that even though he lived in a time with far fewer distractions than we have now, he also left his spirit lagging behind. How easy it is to waste the first part of a good walk with a muddy mind, thereby missing the healing that a quiet walk can bring.
Although Thoreau had much to say about walking he didn’t have a dog. An error in judgment if you ask me. Then again, my dog, Shelby, a whippet cross needs a daily walk. Without it, she’s anxious, trembly, jumping at every unusual noise. I, too, feel out of sorts when I neglect my walks. I come from a long line of English ancestors who used their strong legs as a form of transportation. In England, there are little ladder paths ove…
