I have not driven a car in 30 years. I get around by walking or taking public transit. Sometimes a cab is necessary when the load, such as grocery shopping is heavy. Where we live now there is no public transit so riding the bus is out.

We live within 15 minutes of where my wife works and I work from home. All that we need is within walking distance.

This suits our lifestyle. More important living here was a choice we could have moved to a larger city but choose here.

I love to walk. Why, because walking brings me into direct contact with my community in a way that no other means of transportation does. Driving requires you to pay close attention, although many drivers seem to forget this, to where you are and what others are doing. The same goes for a bicycle. You just can’t stop instantly.

When you walk you can literally stop and smell the roses. It may be wise to look behind you first. Now this does not work, as well, on a downtown Big City street where the sidewalk congestion is almost as bad, if not worse, than the road congestion. But parks are good places to walk, at least in the daylight.

Walking also helps people claim their community. If people are on the street on a regular basis the streets are safer. The fact that drive bys and other shootings are happening in crowded places has begun to put this theory to the test. However, when we can no longer walk our streets in safety then we have lost control of our community and a big part of our freedom.

Walking also provides us with information about changes that we may otherwise miss. When you walk you are immersed in the environment of your community. You fell, hear, and smell what is going on. This is similar to the guide known as the gardener’s footstep. The gardener’s footstep refers to the time that a gardener spends just wandering through the garden, smelling peeking under leaves, looking at the flower with no purpose other than to see what’s up.

I have three styles of walking, the power walk, for exercise, the taking care of business walk when I need to be somewhere but am not rushed, I never rush and the stroll when I am out sniffing the air.

Do you and your community a favour take a walk and yes you can lose some weight as well.