Foreword

In a recent blog titled Ramblings and Ruminations of a Roaming Retiree, I wrote about the many pleasures of walking, but didn’t say much about the rumination aspect. Here is a snapshot of some of my ruminations.

Thoughts that Wander as Freely as my Feet

Walking alone is one of life’s simplest invitations to think — sometimes deeply, sometimes trivially, always freely. Let me give you an idea of what might go through my mind as I pound the pathways.

World Order and World Politics

I have come to the conclusion that our largest worldly societies, main cultures, and personal identities and opinions are currently shaped by the policies and actions of six key humans — Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and the recently-deceased Ali Khamenei — and a small group of gods — Christianity’s and Judaism’s God, Islam’s Allah (if considered different to the Christian God), and the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. I should add Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, to the list of gods, even though he’s no longer alive and never considered himself a god. When you think about it, it is remarkable that such a small group of humans and pantheon of gods have vast control, both direct and indirect, over how the majority of the world’s 8.3 billion people go about their business.

Of course, my thoughts don’t stay on geopolitics for long; curiosity has a habit of tugging me in other directions…

Current Events and Scientific Curiosities

In addition to world order considerations, I ponder on current events and scientific curiosities. Topical developments occupy a lot of brain space – the ramifications of current national and international politics and politicians, the antics of certain members of the (anachronistic?) British Royal Family, and events relating to the dictates and actions of controlling religious orders based on a belief in a god.

Curiosity also drives my thought processes. How do fish extract oxygen from water passing through their gills, and why can’t we create something similar, for example? Or how does soap remove dirt and grime from the surface of our skin? When walking in the rain, will I get wetter or less wet if I run instead of continue walking to a shelter 100 metres away? (The fact that I can no longer run does not affect my curiosity.) Or why is it difficult to peel a hard-boiled egg taken straight from the fridge?

You can also add the potential long-term health issues of vaping, the complex rules and regulations of HMRC’s inheritance tax rules, why many obese people need drugs to lose weight, how a generative AI assistant such as Copilot works, and many other important and/or intriguing questions.

Then again, there are always family issues to think about…

Family Matters, Obviously

There are currently twelve people in my immediate family: wife (only one!), children (three plus partners), grandchildren (four, all girls, now young adults), and an ex-daughter-in-law with whom we still have a close relationship. Each lives a busy, demanding life and, as in any family, occasionally requires help, advice, support, and protection from the ravages of the world they now inhabit. I worked out a long time ago that children are for life, not just until they leave the nest. My wife and I do the best we can based on our own experiences, knowledge, and wisdom gained, but it’s a mutual dependency. We need their help to master many of the latest technological developments and to understand how their daily interactions with others are considerably different from ours when we were their age.

If my mind is not fully occupied by world events or family issues, I turn to the world about me – nature in all its glory…

Sensory Sensations along the Walk

Clearly, events or observations occurring as I pass by will occupy my mind for a while. I do wonder how a sparrow hawk can hover almost motionless while airborne in a strong wind. Or whether the group of mature ladies who regularly go swimming in the sea throughout the winter are mad! Or whether I should interrupt my walk to sit down and chat with the Jehovah’s Witnesses who parade their literature in a local park. (Always good fun. I’m an atheist.) Or, pause to take in the distinctive fragrance of a hedgerow of aromatic Leylandii. Or recognise the unmistakable throaty symphony of sound of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in a restored WW2 Spitfire that regularly offers flights from my local airfield. Or resist or give in to the lure of the ice cream café along the seafront. Or simply marvel at nature’s cyclical floral changes as it progresses through the four seasons.

Gentle walking eventually tires me out physically and, so it seems, mentally. When both happen, I enter the zone…

Walking in the Zone

Sometimes, I just walk mindlessly, following the path almost robotically and trying to keep my eyes on the horizon, not on my boots. I call it ‘walking in the zone’. It usually happens when I am nearing the end of a walk and mentally gearing up for a recovery sit-down, aided by a refreshing cup of coffee. It’s a strange phenomenon. I am aware of my surroundings but not absorbing anything that’s happening unless it’s sufficiently novel to jolt me out of my inner reverie – a sudden noise such as a car horn, a large dog bounding towards me, a cyclist coming up behind me and passing close by (they never ring a bell), or a sudden downpour.

Walking in the zone doesn’t last more than ten to fifteen minutes; strangely, I feel refreshed when I return to my usual walking pattern. I’m sure someone somewhere can explain to me why walking in the zone occurs and why it has this effect on me. Maybe it’s just a mental refresh?

Now, there’s a thought. Next time I walk, I’ll ruminate on this thought! Or consider the thought that walking gives me permission to think about anything. There’s no agenda. I can try to make sense of world events, or think through a family issue, or just people-watch. My thoughts and opinions are private. Walking as an exercise not only improves my physical well-being but also boosts my mental state. One mirrors the other. Try it.

(^_^)