In October of 2017, I started going on lunchtime walks at work.
At first it was to get away from whatever was happening at work and to be by myself.
That solitude gave me time to be by myself and think. Plus I’ve always enjoyed having something that was mine. Something that was for me.
One of the surprises about these walks was discovering how much beauty was literally across the street from work.
I explored all of the trails around work – as far as I could go in my hour lunch.
Rain, sunshine, snow – nothing prevented me from my daily walks. They were good for me. I got away. I thought a lot. I also started listening to a few podcasts about comic books – which got me back into that hobby actually.
I stopped and took so many pictures on my walks. I wanted someway to document what I saw, and how it made me feel. Sometimes I stumbled upon something that felt like it was someone else’s secret that they were letting me in on.
And other times, it felt I was in the middle of some grand fantasy expecting to see a fairy or even some guard mice on patrol.
After I moved, I still take my walks at lunch. The routes aren’t as majestic – they lack wilderness – but I still appreciate the chance to explore. I’ve seen more wildlife on my walks here – owls, hawks, rabbits, prairie dogs – and the skies are some of the bluest blues that I’ve ever seen.
Sometimes I think that my walks saved me. When I started them, I was in a dark place. My emotional status was not good. I had no energy to care about anything and felt emotionally drained.
Which is why they’re so important to me and why I make it a point to have that me-time on a daily basis.
I need that to be well.