It has surprised me of late how much I enjoy walking.

A few years ago I noticed a stout man working out by a playing field of the local academy.  With a towel wrapped around his neck and tucked into his warm-up suit, he ran around the field several times. For some reason I happened to see him doing this on several occasions, and on one of those occasions, I joked to my wife Tricia, "If he's doing it for weight loss, it's not working." She chided me over it as I vainly tried to point out that 80% of weight control consists of the fuel you put in your body.

Only recently, I have noticed several different people out walking with a stern look on their faces. They look straight ahead, not at me or their surroundings as they walk. They probably walk precisely the same route in a given amount of time, and say to themselves, "Dammit, this is good for my health, so I must do it whether I like it or not."

Compare this to others I regularly see out walking. One is a short woman with an unusual arm motion. She swings her arms in front of her without bending her elbows much. It would be awkward for me but it works for her. I can pick her out "a mile away." Her gleaming smile comes into focus as she approaches, and she nearly always says something pleasant. Sometimes her husband joins her. He's twice her size and equally friendly.

Then there's an older woman that I see just about anywhere, walking several miles a day. She watches her grandkids and works part time in the grocery store. She walks so easily that I cannot always pick her out at a distance. She's in better shape than most teenagers or twenty-somethings. I once asked for her dietary secrets. She said, "Oh, I like string beans. Fresh. Out of the can. Any kind of string beans."

Of the many examples I could give, the common feature of their walking styles is enjoyment. That habit has become so natural that there's no tension or forcing associated with the walk.

This weekend morning I was pretty tired, mentally tired. It has been a busy week. I've been adapting to shifting plans, and the phone has kept ringing. I could not even get out the door when I planned to, because of call being returned late.

So off we go to the Post Office, the two dogs and I. But wait! Little Rocky wants to go the downhill way instead of turning left. He must want to visit Farley and Finn, who come out to greet us when we pass by.

After getting the mail, we encounter Diane. She walked the Camino del Santiago last year in memory of her son. Diane relates stories about her sister's experiences with the "Dog Whisperer." Now I know all about being Alpha dog

Then we walk a mile to the coffee shop. Got to drop by there on the weekend. Somehow a morning glory muffin doesn't stretch that far when two dogs are sharing it with you.

Then we encounter our scientist friend. He's getting in his car at another coffee shop. Haven't seen him to talk to in a couple years. He knows all kinds of cool stuff about the (NASA) space program.

Further down the street, Rocky's veering toward the playing fields instead of taking the route straight home. Great! He'll go more than three miles. It's fun to walk on surfaces other than hard pavement.

At the edge of the playing field, who do we encounter? It's Nate! How're you doing, Nate? He called me a couple times lately to substitute for him in tennis games, but it's nice to see him face-to-face for the first time in months.

We go around the edge of playing fields where the girls' lacrosse teams are hosting visitors. There's a stray ball! Roll it back to the sidelines. Next the athletic track where the dogs get to romp off the lease for a couple minutes.

Past a patch of woods, there's a Dad playing hoops with his son in front of the grammar school.

As we cross the street in front of the Library, a man gets in his car. It has Maine license plates. We were in Maine only a week ago, so we ask him a friendly question. He replies in kind, and I file the answer away in my information bank.

On the last stretch home, we run into Peter outside his house. He's a carpenter. He and his wife have trekked in Nepal, and now they collect clothes for children there.

We get home late for lunch. Who cares? We're hardly hungry due to all the excitement. My point is, when you engage the world on foot, you don't always notice the physical work. Relax, and your mind renews. Goodbye mental fatigue!

Are you a wikiwalker? Get in the flow. Get in the glow. Enjoy the diversions of exploring the world on foot.