Twelve thousand steps

The joys of daily walks

3 min read·Mar 15

Mydaily target is twelve thousand steps. That’s how I get my daily dose of adrenaline. Anything over twelve thousand is a bonus, thirteen thousand, fourteen thousand. Less than twelve thousand, I feel unfulfilled. I torture myself thinking of my inadequacy. I cannot be anything less by seven pm. Then, I do a quick walk in the night to catch up on my target.

When I walk, I listen to podcasts and Apple Music. With AirPods submerged in my ears, I walk all over the suburb I live, listening to smooth spatial sounds, immersed in a world of my own.

I keep my head up and pace myself fast. Sometimes, there is a crack in the white markers on the walkways. I concentrate and walk steadily, focusing on my trainers.

I walk in all sorts of hours: early mornings, mid-mornings, mid-day, afternoons, and evenings. I schedule them between my work commitments, meetings, and leisure. Weather is always a blocker. I work around it in case it rains. If the sun is harsh, I wear a hoodie to protect myself from the Australian sun.

I walk on walkways next to parks and greens. I walk along footpaths in established and newly released land-lotted streets.

I cross people walking with their dogs — all types of dogs, big and small, cute and loving. I pass people on their bicycles.

I pass cars parked on driveways. Some garages are full of stuff, leaving no room for their Camrys, Tuscons, Klugers, Golfs, Tesla 3s, Q7s and GLCs, parked on their driveways. Some cars are parked on the streets, a few facing the wrong side of the road. I don’t think that their owners know it is illegal to park that way. On the streets on the newly released lots, builders park their Hiluxes and Rangers. They are busy going on with their trade, building houses.

I concentrate and stick to my rhythmic walking, my lanyard with the house key swinging around my neck. I adjust my hoodie to continue to protect myself from the sun.

I walk past lawns, some meticulously maintained, some not so. I have to watch for drivers; some do not know how to use indicators.

Kids ride on the footpath. It is nice to see them racing with each other as if there is no tomorrow. Unfortunately, some kids ride without safety helmets, which is a worry.

I pass the playground where I play with my granddaughter, Mia, on Sundays. She uses the rides and digs in the sandpit. She uses the swings and climbs frames. There are two playgrounds here. On the more extensive playground, boys play soccer, kicking a ball. Some kids ride their bikes and scooters exploring paths.

I cross the playground and walk up to the neighbourhood village shopping centre. A huge supermarket, the anchor tenant hogs space in the shopping centre. The car park is full. Electric bicycles are lined up. Inside the centre, the crew in the Sushi food outlet serve their customers. The liquor store is full of men. The shoppers in the supermarket move their heavy trolleys, packed to the brim. The supermarket crews fill the empty shelves using touch technology pads. Self-checkout is full of shoppers. They pay with their phones and smartwatches.

I look at my watch. I have hit the target and am exceeding it. When I walk back home, I will hit another three thousand steps. I’d exceed my steps when I finish up.

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Walking

Fitness

Daily Life