I used to think of walking as a purely utilitarian activity – a way to get to and from school or work, to pick up extra butter or a carton of milk at the corner store. Then the pandemic came along, and walking became the new way to socialize. Instead of meeting for coffee, friends called to schedule a walk, or a weekend hike instead of a dinner date. Others figured out how to work while walking – holding lab meetings and conference calls while strolling the bike path. And walking is great exercise, of course, with an ever-expanding list of health benefits.
But what about walking for no reason at all? Without any ulterior purpose? Setting out with no plan and no destination? What about wandering? If you're not sure what that means, let alone how to begin, let me suggest the little book I've been keeping on my nightstand: "The Wander Society," by contemporary artist Keri Smith. To wander, Keri says, is "to walk/explore/amble with a complete openness to the unknown." In other words, it's a state of mind as well as a physical act.
Another starting place could be our show on walking this week, in which we consider the history of long distance women walkers, the evolution of the human foot, and the nature of pilgrimage. Lace up some shoes and take us with you!
– Anne