Deirdre Fennessy shares about her experiences taking morning walks.
I walk almost every day for exercise, for fresh air (I live in a one-bedroom apartment), release from my everyday to-do list, for the beauty of the sunlight highlighting everything I see in nature, the sounds of birds, the sky and its clouds. There is one other amazing benefit too.
I often walk on trails where there are many other walkers, runners and bikers of all ages. I pass many strangers along the way, as these trails are in and out on the same path. I look forward to this as it gives me a chance to greet them with a hello or just a smile with no expectations of a response.
In 95 percent of my greetings, at least one person in the group will hear my hello, look right at me and give me a huge smile and hello, like we have been friends forever. Perhaps it is because of my genuine smile and hello. Whatever it is, we acknowledge each other in the most knowing, heartfelt way.
Our former expressionless faces come alive in the eyes and in the movements of our smiles and with the echoed greetings. There is a spark between us, from eye to eye, and smile to smile, which warms my heart with the intimacy of our humanity.
Now, there is that five percent that does not respond and I feel for them that they did not get this unexpected jolt of friendly recognition from a stranger.
We are the same creatures, breathing the same air, walking the same path and sharing it on this trail where we are free to respond as we pass each other with no other thoughts, judgements, opinions, but the ONE, “I greet you” as a fellow human being, sharing this path of life we are all on. With a Perspective, I’m Deirdre Fennessy.
Deirdre Fennessy is a Montessori educator, a grateful resident of beautiful Mill Valley, who volunteers with local environmental organizations, belongs to a weekly hiking group and charges her plug-in car while walking the breathtaking nature trails of Marin.
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