Take a Walk-And-Talk
Aristotle, Richard Linklater, and yours truly can't be wrong!
This weekend, despite…well, everything that’s happening right now, I’m going to Dallas to visit my dear friends George and Zarya and their three year-old daughter, who’s now becoming a professional walker herself. We try to see each other each winter and of course, we’re going to do the requisite Texas Things, like gnawing on juicy beef ribs at Terry Black’s BBQ or sprinting through the crosswalks as amphibious assault vehicle-sized trucks rumble toward us. But if I’m being honest with myself, the activity that I’m most excited about is grabbing a cup of coffee, picking a park or a greenway, and spending the morning walking and talking.
I like to leave it at that, because it doesn’t really matter where we’re walking or what we decide to talk about. We might amble past the palm trees at the Galleria Dallas mall, ranking the states that are most likely to become “climate havens” in the event of an ecological collapse. Or we could discuss Trump’s psychotic decision to freeze federal grants for social services and the likeilihood of a backlash while we explore the Katy Trail—an excellent multi-use path through downtown Dallas that’s frequented by jacked-and-tanned young people. Whatever the subject, wherever the setting, all I know is that a good old “Walk-And-Talk” leaves me feeling inspired, nourished and more grounded. And more capable of getting through the next few days or years.