Walking for Peace - walking for love!

                                          New walking partner!

I have barely walked since the last blog, but I have been busy babysitting. My best walk was on a greenway trail with the baby. I pushed the stroller, and the baby slept, then we came to a bumpy bridge. The jolts of the wheels woke the baby, and he looked up at me surprised. The shaking stroller wiggled the little fat jowls on his face, and the surprised expression made me laugh, laughing so hard I had to top walking for a moment. It was a beautiful day, the sky deep blue and the green of the trees contrasting brilliantly.  I am looking forward to walking on that trail again.  

Now we are in NC, walking around the neighborhood area, finding time between rain and family duties.  We walk on paved roads in a deeply rural area, and unfortunately we pass a lot of litter. Yesterday’s walk included taking three different soft drink bottles out of the dogs mouth. On the news I have been following a group of Buddhist monks walking for peace, walking from Texas to Washington DC. They were in Alabama last week, and they crossed the bridge in Selma where  years ago violence met the desire for equality. The monks walk, praying for peace, hoping to pursue peace and promote peace. I can’t think of a better reason to walk, especially this year. While our president is bombing small boats and killing men that may or may not be drug dealers, and while he is challenging the leader and country of Venezuela, possibly hoping for a war, these men are quietly walking, quietly praying. Is peace possible? These men think so. They have been inviting people along the path to join them as they walk. People have lined the roads cheering them on, handing them snacks and water. I know peace is wanted. Peace is a noble goal. Who is it that doesn’t want peace?  Our leaders, our neighbors who voted for and still cheer for these leaders may say they want peace, but one can’t pursue peace through violence. As we lock people up for being “dangerous illegals” and for “living while being brown” these men are walking. I wonder what would happen if millions and millions of us joined them, and we all walked into Washington DC together, walking for peace?

One of the monks is 71 years old. One has lost a limb. They are walking along busy roads, and walking on hard cement and concrete is difficult on their feet.  In one article the writer spoke with the monks and wrote the following: “Yesterday, the Vulnerable Monk said this is a walk brutal on the body, the mind has to take lead and they must practice mindfulness with each step.”  This is what long distance walking teaches, and maybe this is why we think of the wise people as walkers. The wise walk and think, having time to ruminate on the issues. I hoped that my year long walking would help me to think. I am not sure if I have achieved any goals of wisdom, but I am calmer, and maybe that is something. 

Last night the news was loud, with the commenters praising our president. Footage of the bombing of those possible innocent boats was playing over and over. New warships will be created, named after this man. The news channel fosters anger, fosters a sense of urgency and fear, of us against them. I will not mention the channel, but we all know which one it is. I can sit and stew in anger, I can argue fruitlessly with people I love, or I can chose to mentally walk, with mindfulness in every imagined step. I moved to the back of the house, and searched for some music. I came across a song, A Dios le Pido,  This song is about asking god for peace, for no war against innocent children, at least in this version. Three singers in three languages, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic, begging god for peace. I listened to it several times, until it washed the anger and fear from my body and mind. Music is also  mindfulness steps, also the way to channel and control the mind and focus on what is important. One line from the song says, about war, “it’s a huge monster and steps heavily on the poor innocence of people.” 

Let’s walk for peace. Let’s protect the poor innocence of people.

I have walked only 9.2 miles since the last blog, making a total of 492 miles total. I still have the majority of the AT ahead of me. I plan to continue until I am done. Then perhaps, maybe, I will be able to fulfill my dream of actually walking the trail, actually climbing those mountains. Maybe that is not my destiny, and instead I will mindfully spend more time outside, closer to home. Either way I am enjoying working on this blog and walking locally.

 A new and wonderful thing has happened! My daughter had a baby boy, and I am now a grandmother times two. My first grandson is 3 and the new baby is almost 3 months old. I am staying with my daughter’s family and caring for the baby while everyone else goes to school. I love every minute of being a grandmother, playing with the 3 year old in the evenings, and caring for the baby during the day. My walking, though, has really slowed down. Now I am lucky to get in a half of a mile each day. This will improve as baby and I find our schedule. For now I push him in a stroller when the weather is good, but he often gets hungry or fussy before a lot of distance is covered. That is OK, we are slowly developing the love of walking and outdoors, one small stroll at a time.  When my first grandchild was born I did the same thing, I had the great honor of staying home with him for his first year. I walked with him often, pushing the stroller up and down the Tennessee hills, and I plan to do the same this year. My parents instilled the love of nature, and the joy of walking in me, and I think my kids got some of that as well. Now the next generation is here, ready to explore the woods, mountains, trees and fields. A new generation to discover the beauty of birds calling as they fly, to discover the feel of chilly wind on their faces as they climb a mountain trail, to love the sound of streams dancing over rocks and falling down as waterfalls. A new generation to care for the wilderness, to try to protect it and to share that love with their friends and neighbors. Perhaps someday these two boys will also take tiny hands in theirs and walk outside under the blue sky. My grandpa took my dad out walking on the family farm, my parents took me out walking on the wild trails of the Tetons and through Yellowstone, as well as on the family farm. I took my three kids out walking, in the North Georgia mountains, in the Tetons and Yellowstone, along our neighborhoods, and on the family farm.  The love of nature, of all that is wild, is a gift to be passed on one little child at a time.  This blog today will be short because the baby is waking up, the sun is shining and the stroller is waiting. I have walked 25.37 miles since I last wrote, and am now (on the AT) at The Lost Mountain Shelter in Virginia, the next state along the trail. I plan to keep recording the miles and writing these blogs until I have finished the AT, but I have a long way to go. The only way to get there is to start, and to keep sauntering on. See you on the trails!!