The Art of Zen Living

I saw an amazing thing tonight.  Perhaps that’s more a commentary on our “culture” than anything.

I try to walk every day - some weeks I do better than others.  I’ve been off my stride lately, so I made an extra effort to make sure I got off of my butt tonight and got out there.  My route takes me 3 tenths of a mile out to a semi-main road, which offers a nice, straight patch of sidewalk and a variety of large trees and interesting vegetation.  I’ve learned to appreciate the lack of litter along this stretch of road.  I’d never really stopped to think much about it, other than to observe there wasn’t much of it.  I sort of vaguely attributed it to the neighborhood.  I was only partially right.

I walk at a pretty brisk pace - somewhere around 4 and a half miles per hour - and I wear 5 pound ankle weights and carry 5 pound hand weights.  I end up working a good amount of momentum and there’s a “swish-swish-swish” of the sand in the ankle weights that makes it hard to sneak up on anyone.  While I usually give a wave and a smile, I’m always wearing my ear buds and usually listening to Ven. Kusala Bhikshu, It takes something truly out of the ordinary to pull my focus.

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