what a walk

i went for a walk today, and got thinking about my uni and stuff. as tends to happen when walking. i was busy carrying along the path, past the trees and houses and all of a sudden i was overcome by the realisation that our everyday environment is shaped in such a way that discourages interaction and investigation. i was walking on the path that society set for me, i was walking past the nicely lined trees, which were placed in such a way that i was not inclined to touch them, or even walk near them at all!
so i started walking off the paths, around the trees, on the kerb, and i touched everything i could at every possible opportunity. the brush-like leaves hanging just above my head; the cold, jagged, and uneven stone in a fence; the warm but rough bark of trees; the soft satin of flower petalsl; the cold, smooth surface of a metal gate; the crumbly and flaky paint on a wooden letterbox. i must have looked like a fool but you know what, i had a lot of fun doing it and suddenly, my walk became far more engaging and fullfilling!

it also reminded me that i need to find the book Wanderlust: A History Of Walking, by Rebecca Solnit!!!!