I walked most of my life. It was a form of meditation; brought with it a feeling of power; provided a quiet, sure and repeating affirmation of my own existence; and sometimes what I perceived as escape. The most important part about it was the sense of being completely centered in the unique being that is me. Growing up in California were being outside was an option most of the year round, there was the added benefit of being outdoors. There are so many things to see, smell, touch, feel when you are walking. The colors and patterns of leaves and flowers, homes, gardens, the way insects worked, birds and small animals interacted. Even within the extremes of the built environment of southern California, nature finds a way to sneak thru, to survive and even thrive.
We moved to the mountains of Colorado when I was eleven. It was magic. It smelled so differently, not masked. Rain, dirt, plants, seasons – each had their own fragrance. And the colors! Never had I seen such a variety of colors. Even the rocks had an infinite range of colors and patterns. So drastic was the change that I found myself like a little child wanting to touch everything I saw.
Even the built world was different. I had never seen buildings that old, or rough, using rock and exposed wood. Or even the shapes of them. There are so many textures of ground to feel under your feet. The smell of wood smoke, beyond that from a campfire.
I’d watched Grandma cluck and fuss over her plants every day for my whole life. I thought they had to have help. I didn’t know plants to grow like that unaided. To this very day, watching the color change of the aspens in the fall takes my breath away, that incredible patchwork quilt of oranges, yellows, reds and greens laying across the hills.
All of this I saw while simply following my feet.
There are things in my life today that I don’t like or understand, but I find myself remembering the magic that always happened when I let my feet lead, and just enjoyed the show all around me. Maybe that’s the secret to true happiness. Rather than worrying about the maps, or the trail I took, where I think I should be instead, or whose fault it is I’m here – I can just follow my feet and enjoy the surprises and affirmations of life I find along the way.
Let your feet take you somewhere beautiful today…
