What Walking has Taught Me

Written by: Connor Fraser

Here’s how hurting my leg taught me a lot about walking outside.

Picture this – you are running with a limping leg. You continue running, hoping the limp disappears. It does not. By the time you get home, you are dragging your leg across the sidewalk. Now you can neither walk nor run. That’s my story.

Soon enough I was able to walk again, but not run. To prevent me from losing fitness, I’ve been walking, and it has been such an enriching experience. Here is what I learned:

Walking is Calming

Stressed? Angry? Feeling blue? In my experience, the outdoors calms you.

I find some places extremely calming, here they are:

I bet you live near some places where you can reach a great sense of calm too.

Birdwatching Is Cool

I used to think birdwatching was boring. Turns out, walking makes me think birds are interesting! I mean, what flying creature would not be amazing? I’ve started to notice birds in my area and would like to share them with you.

Mourning Doves are cowards. If you even get close to them they scream and flee. They are my favorite. When I was younger, I thought their cooing was that of an owl’s.

I used the photo above from Birds & Blooms’s blog.

This is one on my neighbor’s window sill.

Canadian Geese are classics.

The geese scare me because they look mean.

I walked quite close to this one down a path. Doesn’t it look mean? Did you know they are one of the few birds to have webbed feet? How about, they fiercely protect their kids against any enemy, even if it was a moose?

Blue Jays are hard to find; lucky for me one landed on my fence!

They look quite elegant. They are quite difficult to take a photo of, so here is another image of one taken by the site “eBird.”

Fake Birds

The mystery bird is a bird I still cannot name

This might not be a bird!

You Know Your Way Around

This is obvious.

Macbeth boulevard. Does that remind you of a certain Shakespearean 1606 play?

Some Places Give You Goosebumps

Sometimes you step into places where in the past you had the most fun of your life.

Other times you step into places where in the past you were scared.

I relive those memories when I go to these places alone.

It makes me remember a time when I was not okay, and sometimes it is scary. I get flashbacks, goosebumps, and my hair stands on end. Sometimes it makes me feel proud to visit parts of my history.

Would your younger self ever know later you would stand in that same spot, alone?

What’s important is that you got through it all, and you are here, breathing, living.

Going to the site of my grade 8 graduation, Pie Guys, a baseball diamond, Club Roma, beside someone’s house, and the schoolyard I played in during Kindergarten all gave me goosebumps.

Two years ago I nervously walked into this room for junior prom. If I never went in, I would have missed the most fun of my life.

Walking Makes You Care Less About What Others Think of You and More Social

I was hesitant to walk at first because I feared what people would think. As I look back, I do not understand what the worst anyone could think of me for walking.

I would pass at least a few people each time I went walking.

I became far more comfortable talking to people. It feels like I have waved to somebody or said thanks to people at least 50 times.

I met a friend I have not seen in three years on the sidewalk a month ago.

There is (Literally) a World Outside Your Window

As I finish this post, we are in a pandemic. COVID-19 is stressful and boring. Leaving your home may take some of that stress and boredom away. There is a lot to discover outdoors, and lots of wild animals who are willing to be your friend.

How long will it take before you go outside on an adventure?

What are you waiting for? Go walk! See you there!