“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.”
Søren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher: 1813-1855
During the 1950’s and ‘60’s, when I was growing up, girls weren’t encouraged to be athletic. Indiana schools only offered sports programs to boys. Girls had gym class, intramural opportunities, and if you were pretty and popular enough, you might have been in cheerleading.
So, most of my childhood exercise came from play. Summers back then were spent running around with neighborhood kids and dogs, playing outdoor games, and going swimming. We burned off lots of calories by day — and even without air conditioning — slept like babies at night.
By the time I met my husband Mike in my 20’s, I hadn’t exercised in years. He set his sights on changing that. He was a runner — a holdover from running high school cross-country and track — and he encouraged me to try it. I never got beyond slow jogging, but exercising helped me feel better and have more energy.
After we moved to Columbus in 1978, I chased toddlers for exercise, and took part in the Aerobic Exercise fad. I loved Aerobics, but eventually my knees and bladder couldn’t handle all that stomping and high stepping.
I’m not sure when walking for exercise became my go-to, but I agree with Kierkegaard, daily walks (and occasional hikes) generally walk me into well-being and melt away burdensome thoughts.
We’ve lived in four Columbus neighborhoods. During our early years on Gilmore Street, I enjoyed walking to Donner Park with our boys. Some may remember Mike from that era. He used to jog around Donner while jumping rope, and sometimes he’d don his roller skates, leash up our English Mastiff Bruno, and off they’d go, zooming around the neighborhood. Mike’s picture ran in The Republic once, showcasing his unique exercise style.
The two of us walked together a lot when we lived on Audubon Drive, frequently using our walk time to strategize how to parent teen boys. We didn’t get teenaged boys figured out, but walking around Parkside field to the airport and back helped preserve our sanity.
As empty nesters, we moved to the Noblitt Falls Lagoons neighborhood, a great area for walking. We often walked from our home through Noblitt and Mill Race Parks and back. I loved stopping to chat with neighbor Tom Essex. He was a great storyteller and would regale me with stories of his military service in China during WWII or talk about when his family — and others — lost their farms to eminent domain when Camp Atterbury was built.
The flood of 2008 scared us off from staying in “the lagoons,” so we moved on to Sandy Hook, another great walkable Columbus neighborhood. I walk slower these days, giving me more opportunities to converse with my neighbors, like Norma, who with her late husband built one of the first homes in Sandy Hook, and Jackie, who grows a flower garden to die for.
I love that walking is an exercise you can do most of your life, so I’ll continue lacing up my trusty HOKA’s and carry on with my daily constitutionals. I’ll chat with neighbors, enjoy their flowers … and do my best to keep walking away those pesky burdensome thoughts!
Sharon Mangas is a Columbus resident and can be reached at [email protected]. Send comments to [email protected].
