Oh, but to walk

Walking is empowering (I like that word, "empowering." It gives me a sense of strength, ability to accomplish, to be in charge of myself.). Walking, I postulate, can do all of that.

We walk away from situations that we don't like. We walk to places where we want to be.

We walk for relaxation, exercise and health. Walking can reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and stress.

The first recommendation to patients recovering from surgery is to walk.

We even have Biblical precedents for walking (when taken literally): Abraham walked "before G-d" and Noach walked "with G-d."

We use walking to express our beliefs and convictions. American Jews walked to support Soviet Jewry before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Martin Luther King walked at the head of the civil rights movement. African-Americans later walked to the tune of the Million Men March.

On the other hand, technology fools us into thinking that we don't need to walk. But we lose the kinesthetic sense of our surroundings. To feel the world around us, we need to ditch the car- and the cellphone - and put on our walking shoes.

Mobility enhances well-being. Keep walking to feel alive.