When I was nine the nearest post box to our house was one mile away on the crossroads with the main road to the nearest large town, ten miles away. It made a suitable country walk with the dog whenever we had to post a letter. I was reminded of this today when I went to visit a friend in the town near here and couldn’t find any free parking in the centre, but loads of it in the shopping centres maybe a quarter of a mile away or so to my destination. Whilst I waited I saw people driving around desperately looking for parking spaces, and many of them were not infirm, or had any difficulty in walking, they were just used to not having to walk far for what they wanted.
Those that did didn’t do a mass of shopping and came back to their cars within half an hour or so. I realised something about which I was unaware, that modern society deliberately makes people lazy. I was mean enough to want to save myself a pound, but I am used to walking. On my walk I found two more streets with free parking, found the quieter back roads away from the busy road, and took in some architecture.
I also got soaking wet when it rained.
But that is what walking is all about, looking. Feeling. Lazy people don’t do enough of it.