So I walked to work this morning because my knee hurt while biking and I didn't have the bus fare handy. It's about a 45 minute walk and I really enjoyed it. I've lived my life so far without getting a drivers license and I tend to walk, bike or bus everywhere. But its walking that generally draws the oddest reactions from others. When someone finds out that I spent more than 20 minutes walking somewhere, they have reactions that range from astounded to guilty. Here are some typical responses:
"Dude, why didn't you tell me? I would have given you a lift."
"Did you really just walk all that way?"
"Why would you do that to yourself?"
"You really need to get a license."
It rarely occurs to people that maybe I enjoy walking. That our most basic form of transportation might be a little slower than others but that its good for our bodies and allows our minds to wander a bit. Moreover, most of the people I know are environmentally aware and healthy people. They're the same people that think about their effect on the world around them and think about how unhealthy Western lifestyles are. And yet, they act under this assumption that walking from one place to another is some form of torture that no one in their right mind would subject themselves to. Its a culture of convenience, and its scary. That's why I walk.
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