Taking A Walk

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes when on the road it seems that my legs have forgotten how to walk. They move one at a time and propel me forward, but something isn’t right. Actually a lot of somethings are not right.

Something hurts – a blister on the heel of this foot, a blister between the toes of that foot, a twinge of pain in this hip, and so on. My foot lifts, it approaches the ground, but my legs rebel in anticipation of pain. They twist or bend and attempt to avoid the ground.

I don’t know how I look to an observer. I feel like I am falling and hopping and other things that have little to do with walking properly.

I find myself concentrating on walking. Step left, step right, step, step, step. I stare at my feet as each one touches the ground. Roll my foot from heel to toe. No, don’t land on my heel, land on the middle of my foot. No, is that right? I am confused. Concentrate. Step, step, step.

This struggle usually happens after sitting for five minutes. I walk an hour or two, and force myself to rest. I know my body needs to rest a bit, but I hate to do it. That rest puts my muscles to sleep and they wake in this confused “remind me how to walk” state. I hate to stop once I am going correctly, but I know my body needs the rest.

Sounds strange? Walk all day for a week and it might make more sense.