A Brief History of The Walk Report
Ever since I got sucked into Facebook, August 27, 2008, I have made a habit of posting photos, events and music which have taken place on my "daily constitutional," a walk which I have done now with a great deal of dedication, rain or shine, in sickness or in health, for the last 12 years. For whatever reasons I decided to share the experience but for much of it, and I think this is true for a lot of people on social media, there was a rather perverse subconscious commitment in the sharing of one's bullshit. Some of that bs goes down to the level of sharing the sandwich one is eating or the color of one's toenails. In the world of psychology we call that addictive behavior.
On or about March 25, 2012 I began labeling these Facebook posts as, Today's walk report. Eventually I found out that some "friends" would look forward to the Walk Report. I also found out that my son and his girlfriend enjoyed my report. Wow! I'm appealing to a younger audience. But the kids were bailing on Facebook because the adults took over. The longer I stayed the more I too realized, yes, the adults were annoying and numerous adults I encountered seemed to believe just about everything because they--read it on the Internet.
Here's the thing about the walk itself.... It is rather routine. It's typically the same 4-6 mile trek each and every day with only minor variations and extensions depending on how I feel and how much time I have. Occasionally there is a supplemental walk of some sort. I might actually go to and from a location like a movie theater, a store, or I'll report on something related to walking in general--like shoes, foot problems, injuries. Once in awhile I'll report specifically about the diversions that take place with music during walks. Music is a huge part of my walks. In relation to the report itself the walk is almost superfluous yet it becomes, at times, the challenge of tying to find something interesting within the banality of the act itself. It encapsulates a subconscious desire of making something ordinary and mundane somehow interesting to another person... or not. Aside from the report the walk is--routine exercise.
April 19, 2013, my walks moved here to the blogosphere. And here's a late entry edit to this post, on April 1, 2015 I permanently deleted my Facebook account. On this edit day, December 29, 2019 I'd like to encourage anyone reading this who is currently on Facebook to bail. It's liberating and while I thought much of Facebook was bullshit back in 2015 I will add this to that now--Facebook is evil and Mark Zuckerberg is an asshole.
I hope at least a few people find some sort of entertainment in the idea of somebody posting ordinary drivel of a routine event such as a walk... that's another thing about posting here... people can just bump into me, don't have to feel obligated to "Like" because they are my "friend," they don't have to "belong" to Facebook, etc.
On to the report...
Finally... to familiarize this audience with the Walk Report here are some sample postings from the past year or so... my so-called, "best of," more likely they are random selections--I don't know myself at this point.
March 17, 2013
Today's walk report: This ALMOST happened yesterday, same exact spot about the same time, except yesterday as soon as I raised the camera it was bye-bye birdie. Red tailed hawk, I took close to 200 shots from 45 to 6 meters away. He/she (really hard to tell with RTHawks) sat and watched me until I left. I thought I took a ridiculous number of pictures but now I think I should have kept going until we parted together.
Sometimes the report is a little abstract...
March 11, 2013
Today's walk report: All I did was walk. I think the walk looked like this.
Serious moments. This was the report the day after my mother passed away, in my childhood home with me at her side, age 90.
Today's walk report: I discovered that I cannot cry and walk at the same time so, for the most part, I walked, 5.45 miles and took in some really great music. Today was the 2nd worst day of my life. It only stands to follow, they will get better.
March 6, 2013
Revelations about my personality.Today's walk report: End of the walk, back home. People thought I was watering but what I was really doing was making rainbows. Sometimes you just need to make your own.
February 28, 2013
Hummingbirds have been the subject of several walk reports but what typically is going on is the exoneration I find in the process. Taking photos is about what it does for my spirit.
Today's walk report, SPECIAL, MATINÉE EDITION: For those of you who have an idea about what goes on in my life... The mom's been pretty sick last few days. This is on top of a rather rapid decline in her overall fitness over the past few weeks. So, that's where my attention has been. My sister came for a visit today and that gave me a couple of hours to take an early walk. It was really nice to have so much light. I should go out earlier more often. It's really windy today so that did a number on some close up picture takin' but my hummingbird friends ultimately provided some nice photo ops.
February 24, 2013 (edit: Our mother passed away 10 days later)
There have been financial rewards on walks.
Today's walk report: That's about $1 a mile. This was on the sidewalk just short of the 1/4 mile mark. I walked about another 30 yards, thought "wait a minute", and went back looking for more to no avail. Last year I found $1... I'm working my way up to the big money. See, exercise really does have its rewards.
February 13, 2013
Frequently there are sunsets in the report...Today's walk
report: A little sloppy but so be it. 6 image panorama of the first
Woodland Hills sunset of 2013. I never mention this but when I'm out on a
walk--that's the main deal, the walk. Happy New Year again... I hope
everyone had a wonderful 1st day of 2013.
January 1, 2013
Sometimes I just make shit up...
Today's walk report: I dunno the story here. I hardly think that's going to contain him though. The Sheriff told me, "it's just a kitten. It's not too bright."
December 21, 2012
Simple observations...
Today's walk report: Bolero Hat.
November 9, 2012
That's it, in a nutshell and from today, April 19, 2013 it's happening from here. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Be good, have fun!
(Several edits to this post took place on December 28, 2019, just because a lot can change in 6 years and 8 months).
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