My Occasional Rambles (Not Quite Senile!)

satchitananda · Feb 27, 2016

[JUSTIFY]A kilometer is a long distance to walk when one is walking alone. That means the number of thoughts running a marathon through one's mind are also proportionately more numerous. So it is only logical that a snippet about the topic is going to be longer than standard version. Treat this as a statutory warning and decide whether you trust your own sanity to read this one or not.[/JUSTIFY][JUSTIFY]

I wish I could crawl under the chair and vanish.

I am sitting in front of the doctor who is asking me as he would a recalcitrant child why I have not been going for regular walks. That is his standard prescription for pain. "You are already a veteran of pain" he justifies when I tell him it hurts to walk on the roads of this city. Grrrr...... As if that is not enough, he says (adding that proverbial insult to injury) "Look at yourself, you look B I G man! (If a person can spell out a word in bold, italics and caps, spacing the letters simultaneously while speaking without actually saying out the words "bold", "italics", "caps" and "space", I just heard this doctor do so). Why?" The man is given to much drama and hyperbole. I look at his middle and think "Practice what you preach, man!" I also make a mental note never to visit him again.

However the damage is done. The BH who was with me on that visit keeps insisting that I go for walks. "Come with me for a walk" I plead. I hate going alone for walks. "Not now" is the standard reply.

I wake up early in the morning. I try getting the BH (am seriously considering changing that to the LH or the lazy half) refuses to budge.

He comes back from work and I request him to come for a walk. Will he? No prizes for guessing.

It is 10 a.m. "Come for a walk". This time it is the other way round. Wild dogs will not drag me out for a walk in the blazing sun. I hate the name Ravi. It is just too common down South. A cricketer is called Ravi, a plumber is called Ravi, a carpenter is called Ravi, a contractor is called Ravi ..... now we always have to refer to them as Ravi carpenter, Ravi plumber etc. to make sure we are clear which Ravi we are talking about. Why, there is even a "Ravi tent" close to our home (a local landmark!) which is a shanty theatre. So you can imagine why I hate going for walks with yet another or should I say the original Ravi putting up pyrotechnic displays in the sky?

Or at the other extreme, it is 12 a.m. I am nicely tucked up in bed with my lappie for company. "Come for a walk" says the BH. :bang Is he serious? With all those stray dogs around which are looking for a good bite of human meat? They have probably already had a go at BH, considering the suggestion!

Come Sunday, the BH is having an extended late afternoon siesta. I decide not to ask him this time around. I step out bravely onto the road. Today of all days, I am seeing double. The moon looks double, the trees look hazy. I take off my glasses, blow on them, wipe them clean and park them back on my nose. No luck. There are still two moons! What am I complaining about? There are two moons to keep me entertained as I go on my solitary ramble (physical one, I mean, not the one I am indulging in here). I continue walking bravely.

The road takes a sudden dip, informing my spine of the fact. I gulp a breath of air and continue walking. All the scents of Arabia leap out to greet my nostrils as I walk past the nallah outside the complex. Who am I to complain? It is just compost in the making! One stretch of pavement ends and I need to climb down one foot and climb up another foot of the next stretch. My knees creak out a loud protest. The pavement is about 1 1/2 feet wide. A tree challenges my progress as I go along. A few steps further, a bus shelter blocks the entire pavement and the people waiting for a bus spill onto half the road. As if to provide competition to the trees and bus shelters blocking my path, a huge SUV (a 'biscuit dabba', as I see it) stands blocking my way like Hanuman who lay in the way of Bhima. Only Bhima's vertical dimensions were greater than his horizontal ones. That, I don't claim to be one of my virtues. However, my wisdom being greater than that of Bhima, I don't argue with the "Hanuman" blocking my path and decide to walk on the road. I walk skirting the crowd of 'spilled' human beings into the path of an oncoming bus. Mercifully the bus is at a sufficient distance to allow me to climb up 1 foot of narrow pavement again. So goes the walk till I get home about half an hour later. On my way home, I decide to avoid the pavement and walk along with the traffic. I have as much right as any two wheeler to be on the road.

The BH is still asleep. 15 minutes later, he wakes up and says "Let's go for a walk". :shock:

The world is still a wonderful place to be in. Despite the nallahs, despite the pavements, despite SUVs parked across pavements, despite neurologists ..... and despite a BH who chooses to walk only at odd hours of the day.[/JUSTIFY]

vaidehi71 · Feb 27, 2016

Satchi,

Very nice narration.

So true, easy to preach, but to practice what we preach is quite a hard task.

I probably just did that for one OP, hope that OP also reads this one.
She will tell the same as you told and would ignore my advice.

Hurdles to the above task is basically in my MIND. The greatest hurdle is within me and to overcome that is a mammoth task.

Glad you are able to overcome them.

Thanks,
Vaidehi

shobhamma · Feb 27, 2016

Walking is a sore topic in my family too. I am a couch potato and my husband loves to walk.
One thing is for sure. Me and my BH cannot walk together. whenever we do it we come back grumpy and fighting. Our strides do not match.

"Cant you walk faster?" from him. "Cant YOU walk slower " from me. I tell you this is the ultimate stress for us.

So He takes a walk for himself in the morning, and for me in the evening.

Actually even I am very regular. Once a month I walk diligently.

jayasala42 · Feb 27, 2016

Nice ramblings.Every one has different story to narrate.My husband and daughter used to get up at 4.30 A. M and walk nearly 6 kms every day.They were known as ' Fast express of Ashok nagar' by one and all.My husband fell sick.My daughter continued until she got married.After retirement we walk together around 3 km a day combined with our purchases.
Now I cannot allow my husband who is 78, to walk alone.he is extremely careful.Yet the drug he takes continuously for cerebral haemorrage has unique side effects.While walking he has a strange feeling that without his knowledge he starts walking sideways as a toddler walks holding a bench.He himself is not aware of this until somebody on the road points out sarcastically at him'E perisu.are you playing on the road?' or some vehicle sounds the horn.There is no black out or unconscious feeling.Suddenly he realises and gets adjusted and walks alright.This does not happen daily.,once in a while. But I can't guess.Diagnostic tests reveal no irregularity.I make it a point to go along with him for walk daily even if I feel very tired or dissuade him from going for walk.Strange experience! with all these,my husband loves walking a lot.Upto Pondy bazaar which is around 4km from home, normally we walk.We never take a bus or auto unless the distance is too much or we have to carry a load.
Walking is pleasure.With two of us walking and talking we don't feel tired and we make it a point not to argue or discuss serious issues while on walk.

Jayasala 42

jskls · Feb 28, 2016

Satchi, wonderful narration! Enjoyed the humor too. I read this post in the morning, but decided that I will reply only after going for a walk and I did! In this cold weather got all bundled up and went out with a phone in hand. Enjoyed the call and the walk. It's really hard to walk in indian roads unless you have a park nearby. Have you tried treadmill indoors? Hope you keep up with the regular walks and take good care of yourselves.

kaniths · Feb 28, 2016

Walk Satchi, Walk!

Do go walking as often you can... Try... At least on your terrace, in Circles...

Take Care...

joylokhi · Feb 28, 2016

satchitananda said: ↑

The world is still a wonderful place to be in. Despite the nallahs, despite the pavements, despite SUVs parked across pavements, despite neurologists ..... and despite a BH who chooses to walk only at odd hours of the day.[/JUSTIFY]
Click to expand...

Hi satchi,
thoroughly enjoyed your snippet rather rambles of your ' walking ' adventures. If it was not for the above positive frame of mind, you would not have brought out your feelings so effectively.
My intermittant attempts at sticking to regular walkouts have not yielded good results for this very reason of not finding a 'walkmate' according to my schedules.
For some time, i had a few weeks of regular walks with a neighbour. However, even there, the different pace of walking - I am one who has got used to almost running - effect of my hurried rush to office while working - which made it difficult for me to be comfortable with a slower stroll. Other times, there would be breaks of leaving town/having guests etc. Finally, i find myself making umpteen resolutions, to start from the first of a coming month regularlygigglingsmiley

Dreamer · Feb 28, 2016

You are quite a storyteller OP! I am sorry to know that you are in pain though. Please change your doctor and also remind yourself this - Life will always have problems. And you have these but it could be worse.
Be grateful for the good things and move on

Srama · Feb 28, 2016

Dear Satchi,

There is strictly one thing you must remember about doctors. They often seem to go by the principle "Do as I say but don't do as I do". So do't even think of questioning their rationale even if it is in your mind. I want to say walking at 'odd hours is a good plan but knowing B'lore traffic, there is nothing called an odd hour I think. So walk you must, when you can and where you can!

shyamala1234 · Feb 28, 2016

Dear Satchi,
Same is the scene at Hyderabad if one wants to walk on a road. So, I go to nearby park, a walking rink there and there I make rounds. No traffic, no hasstles. Make quite some friends also.
I do not want my husband or anyone to come with me for a walk. I like it solo...at my own pace, no conversation (which might lead to arguments sometimes. At home inevitable but when going for a walk also...Why?) He also does it solo.
Syamala

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