Take The Walk

/ Jessica

Have you ever noticed how our thoughts about being busy can change from day to day? 

Today we are leaving for our beach vacation, and this week has been sort of a flurry of getting ready to be gone for a couple of weeks. 

Arrangements had to be made for pet care, going to post office to hold the mail, returning library books, etc. It’s funny how long the To Do list gets.

Thursday we had errands to run in a neighboring town and I was in one of those relaxed modes. We weren’t in a hurry, got all our things done, and were on our way home. 

We were enjoying our scenic country ride when a car suddenly got on my tail. Obviously, they were in a hurry. I didn’t want to be rushed, so I took the next road on the right, which also goes to my house. 

The other car went straight. Whew. Peace. 

Around the next straightaway, we were blessed with seeing a glorious gift. 

Horses. 

They were in the road because they’d gotten out of their fence. I parked. We just watched. Then, I drove to the next farm house and to let someone know. Before I even got to the steps, I heard honking.

As a car approached the four horses in the road, it blared its horn, passed by them, then sped away. Hmm. Talk about a hurry. 

Turns out, those horses knew right where to go and we watched as they walked down the road and made a right turn down a long  lane and were met by their owners. Pretty neat. 

We continued on our way. A few miles later, another car was right behind my truck again! Not wanting to be rushed, I pulled in to a cemetery to let him pass.

Instead of getting right back on the highway, we parked and got out. 

Good move. While he played, I sat with my back against a giant pine tree.

Have you ever done that?  Sat next to a tree? It’s amazing to just sit still, listen and look about. 

There’s a dairy farm to the right, and the cows were grazing. The sun was shining, the wind was whispering, and there was a sense of comfort in the air. 

The next day, we had more errands, more driving and what I thought was, a time crunch. Rush, rush, rush. At one point, while we were in our small town, Little Bit suggested going for a walk. 

Hmmm. A walk. I thought about it for a second. Well…we have all this stuff to get done, and another town to drive to, blah, blah, blah.

We didn’t go for walk and instead, got stuck in busy. 

After our errands, we went home. Later, when I was finishing my chores and had my hands in a sink full of dishes, I thought about the difference between to two days. No hurry vs hurry. 

Honestly, I realized that “hurry” is simply a matter of perspective. If Tbursday and Friday had been swapped, I’d have been in a hurry Thursday and would’ve missed the horses because I wouldn’t have taken that right turn. If I’d been rushed, we wouldn’t have stopped at the cemetery. 

On the flip side, if we hadn’t been rushed Friday, we may have gone for a walk on a beautiful, sunny day instead of rushing from one place to the next. 

That lesson? Minutes tick by every single day whether we’re in a hurry or not. Period. I stood there at my sink wishing for a rewind. Wanting to go back to that sidewalk earlier in the day… and the chance for a stroll with my Little Bit.

What I decided is, the next time we won’t wait. The next time we will step out of busy and definitely take the walk.  

    
     
 

40 thoughts on “Take The Walk”

  2. Jessica, you have a gift for bringing us straight into your world; the wonder of the horses described with such awe and joy, it’s infectious. And yes, how I love to sit under trees, just staring at the foliage dancing in the sunlight. Often I’ll have bought a book with me to read but never pick it up once, I’m mesmerised by the nature around. Wise words to relax and enjoy the moment.

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    • Oh, how I LOVE your comments, Annika. Not just your wonderful compliments, but your insight. You have a way of offering a new perspective on things.

      I love how you intently bring a book, but don’t open it! What a testament to “seeing” the gifts presented before you. I adore that!

      Seems like it’s easy sometimes to get stuck in a To Do list, even if it includes say, reading chapter 12.

      It makes my heart sing, that you don’t even pick up the book! ❤️

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  3. Sounds so much like where I live. Since moving here, I have shed that Northeast edge and I just love getting out and enjoying the beautiful scenery. It’s so nice to just be quiet.

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  5. That was beautiful and such a good lesson on how we miss the most beautiful things being rushed! While I am pretty sure that I won’t see anything as exciting as horses if I take a different route home – I may be able to see some sweet baby ducks at the neighborhood park that would be well worth the detour from busy. Thanks so much for writing this – I truly need these reminders often.

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  7. In the grand scheme of things, 10 minutes out of each day to just sit quietly and soak in nature does nothing to your busy schedule. What it will do is give you a moment of peace that sustains you in this crazy world.

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  9. Glad the horses weren’t spooked, or it may have been a very different outcome. Love the up close and personal pic of that tree. Glad you found time to unbusy yourself from the rat race for a while. I am hereby declaring “unbusy” a new verb in the English language. ;)

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    • Oh man, that’s a good point, that horn could’ve caused all sorts of issues! Wish you were here to sit under that tree with us. It’s so beautiful. I tucked a piece of bark off the ground and a tiny pine cone that was on the ground into my pocket. Sweet memories.

      You’ve got my vote for “unbusy” becoming a word. Let’s forget busy and practice unbusy!!

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      • Many years ago at a 4th of July parade celebration in my town, someone lit small fireworks near horses that were in the parade. One man was killed, and several other people injured because the horses were–and who could blame them–spooked. One of my former patients was severely injured from that one careless act. Never forgot that. And, a friend and I took a trip in October and we happened upon a cemetery that we think is a NA burial ground. It was simply fascinating. I took many photos, and need to write up that one, too. Maybe when I get unbusy I’ll start on that one…. ;)

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