One thing that has always struck me on my morning walks is the varied ways people approach their outdoor activities. To be sure, there are no right or wrong ways. Some walkers insulate themselves from the environment as much as possible by listening to whatever is playing in their earbuds, texting, or doom scrolling. Often they do this while walking with their back toward oncoming traffic, an insulation of an altogether different nature.
I take a different approach. I like to watch and listen to everything as I walk along the road. It’s a way for me to connect with the environment, whether natural or human-made. There is so much to see and hear, and the same daily route always offers new observations. It’s also quiet, so my mind can wander freely. Some of my most insightful thoughts come to me on these walks.
Yesterday was the first walk of the fall when temperatures touched 32 degrees. The day was sunny and the traffic was low. These are some of the things I saw along the way. They may not be great photographs I snapped with my iPhone, and they don’t capture what I was feeling, but it was fun to see what pictures I could make on an altogether typical walk. But then, there is no such thing as a typical walk if you’re aware of the ever-changing environment. Personally, I much prefer that to listening to a podcast or texting.
