Tag: walking

Posted in noticing

Surprised by Silence: The E-Bike Encounter

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I didn’t hear him coming up behind me. I jumped as the e-bike sped by my right side, just a few feet away. Neither the motor nor the tires on the street made a sound. With no lights or reflectors, the rider disappeared into the predawn darkness.

It was early Sunday, so no one was on the way to work. No trash trucks or school busses making the rounds. No kids on electric scooters on the way to school. We turned the clocks ahead for daylight savings time, so even the sun wouldn’t be up for another hour. Who’s going to be out on a bike?

It could have been someone on their way home after a party that lasted till dawn. Or the guy who has to open up the fast food restaurant. Someone who’s car broke down? Worship team member on their way to warm-up? Couldn’t sleep, so they went for a ride?

I don’t get caught off guard like that very often. I like to think I’ve got good situational awareness. I usually notice what’s going on around me. My dog catches what I miss. She usually smells who’s coming before we catch sight of anyone. But this guy surprised both of us.

I don’t like to be surprised like that. But I do like the challenge of being more aware of what’s going on around me.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I feel like I’m in a cloud

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A thick fog held off daybreak for a few hours this morning. Car headlights revealed tiny droplets of water in the air. I love to look up at clouds in the sky. But now the cloud surrounded me.

My usual morning walk route looks different on a foggy day. I feel like a kid watching black and white TV. Colors have given way to nothing but grays. The street should be lined with houses, but I can only see the next one in front of me. A few cars suddenly emerge from the fog, as surprised to see me as I am them.

Limited visibility creates mystery. Is this the right street? Did I miss a turn? Do I know where I’m at? Who else is out here? Who’s watching me?

As I keep walking, I see the sun trying to break through, burn off the fog, and take over the day. It’s a lot easier to chase away the night. But I know the sun will win out. It always does.

Posted in Life, walking

Intense walking and talking

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Image by Susanne from Pixabay

Every morning as I’m walking my dog, I pass a woman walking her dog. She’s memorable because she zig-zags down the street. She walks from one side to the other, effectively doubling the distance they walk each day. She’s also talking to someone every morning through her AirPods.

It’s dark at this time of the year when we pass each other at 6:30 in the morning. My Great Dane shows no interest in her Schnauzer-ish dog, and he’s not interested in us, either. But she always says, “Good morning” to me. I always reply, but she doesn’t always hear me, because someone else’s voice is in her ear. So she’ll turn up the volume and repeat, “Good morning,” and I’ll repeat my reply.

Who does she talk to every morning? I picture someone else, a sister or child walking their dog at the same time, catching up on whatever happened since yesterday. I imagine it to be someone in Eastern Standard Time, since everyone else would still be asleep. But maybe it’s a friend in Europe, where it’s at least six hours later.

By the tone of her voice, it’s intense. A serious conversation. No nonsense. Almost aggressive.

I talk to God and the big dog when I walk. My words are upbeat, light-hearted, and at times, silly. (When you’re talking to a goofy Great Dane, it’s easy to be silly.) I have never had an early morning phone conversation. I don’t know who I’d call. All my friends are still sensibly sleeping at that time of the day.

Posted in neighbor, neighborhood, walking

What will it be: a new route or the same old streets?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Purple pumpkins? I never noticed those before.

When I take my Great Dane out for a walk in the morning, we have a choice. We can walk the usual two-and-a-half mile loop around our neighborhood, or we can explore some rarely walked cross streets. Regardless of which I choose, there’s much to notice.

If we take the longer route, I notice those things that have changed. Curbside trash announces a remodeling project. Seasonal holiday decorations appear each week. “For Sale” signs appear overnight. A carefully balanced pile of shingles precedes the arrival of roofers. That must a have been a great party in front of the vacant lot filled with beer cans and food wrappers. Out-of-state license plates reveal who’s got company. We know where every dog lives along this route.

On the other hand, if we zig-zag through some of the cross streets, we’ve got a new collection of houses, cars, and yards to notice. I see an older home with a one-car garage. There’s a driveway with two antique cars. Folks who just moved in have a mountain of cardboard boxes stacked up at the end of the driveway. I can see the backs of the houses I frequently pass on the longer route. The barks of dogs inside these houses sound unfamiliar.

No matter which route or direction I choose, I will notice something interesting to take a picture of and write about. I will notice something fascinating about a home I walked by a hundred times or the first time. I will hear cars, dogs, music, air conditioning units, children, birds, and sprinklers. Some I expect. Some surprise me.

Posted in dogs

The big, ferocious dog behind the window

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

He either smelled us coming or he heard us. All I know is he was big, had a substantial woof, and was not happy that the big dog and I dared to walk on the road in front of his house.

My Great Dane was mildly interested in what he had to say, but was quickly distracted by the brave bunny sitting very still by the side of the road.

I was entertained by the beast in the house, wildly jumping, barking, and pawing at the window. With each lunge he got hold of some curtains, pulling them from the rod.

I asked my dog, “What’s he saying?” And, “Why is he so upset?” I assume all dogs speak the same language, but none of my dogs have been willing to translate for me. I can only assume it’s a fierce warning to move along and never, ever return.

We’re soon out of sight, but we’ll be back tomorrow. And I have feeling we’ll have the same conversation.

My big dog isn’t concerned by neighbors walking their dogs. But she hears the beep when someone pushes a key fob or starts up a truck or opens a garage door. Then she’s got something to say. Probably a big woof that means, “Who’s that? What was that? Did you hear that?” Thankfully, she doesn’t paw at the blinds. She just leave a bunch of nose prints on the window.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Let him set the pace

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by David Dvořáček on Unsplash

Some “through the Bible” thoughts from Isaiah 52.

You shall not go out in haste,
    and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
    and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 52:12)

In context, as God promises to redeem, restore, and return his people from exile, the journey will be different from the Egyptian exodus. There’s no hurry. You’re not running for your lives. God goes ahead of you and God’s got your back. There’s no need to rush when you’re surrounded by God.

I paused at those words because it’s hard to slow down. We rush through life, impatiently waiting for microwaves, traffic lights, package delivery, return on investments, food at a restaurant, someone to finish up in the bathroom, pain medication to kick in, popcorn at the movie theater, and the dog who must stop at every mailbox post.

I believe one characteristic of a mature faith is letting God set the pace. That could mean waiting to see what he’ll do. It might mean obeying a clear instruction without delay. Don’t get out ahead of God. Don’t lag behind either.

What’s that look like? Well, for one thing God is “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6). At the empty tomb, the angel told the women, “Go quickly and tell his disciples that [Jesus] has risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7). Jesus said, “I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). But one fruit of the Spirit is patience (Galatians 5:22).

Once the Israelites got out of Egypt, God set the pace, leading them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. When he moved, they moved. When he was still, they set up camp and stayed put.

i guess you just have to pay attention. Where do you see God at work? In what situations does he seem to be taking his good old sweet time?

When you are walking or running or biking with someone, it’s proper to let the slower set the pace. That way you always stay together. That’s good advice for followers of Jesus, too.

Posted in Life

Treasures along the road

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The big dog and I walk about twenty-five miles a week, around all the streets in the neighborhood plus some bonus excursions through the nearby sports complex. I find something along the road almost every day. A dime, a washer, or a pencil. I’ve found a screwdriver, two folding utility knives, and a Spiderman action figure.

Yesterday was unusually productive. I found

  • A Lego apple. The bright red color stood out in the brown mulch. This is gold. We’ve paid good money to add food pieces to our Lego collection.
  • A one-inch blue ball. It looks like it belongs to some kind of game. I spied it in the grass along the side of the road. It will fit in nicely with our collection of balls the grandkids play with.
  • A twelve-inch zip tie. It was just laying there in the middle of the road. I use these all the time, organizing wires, cords, and cables in our house.
  • An admission ticket to By Brothers. By Brothers is a family owned Cuban restaurant/family fun park in Miami featuring pedal tractors, corn pit, aviary, petting farm, train rides, pony rides, a giant jump pad, camel rides, paintball, an obstacle course, a fish farm, a sprinkler zone, inflatable waterpark, ball pit, and bird gardens. I have no idea why this ticket would be laying along the road five hours north in Palm Coast, but it sounds like a place I’d definitely want to visit!
  • A raffle ticket. Actually, the road was littered with them. I only picked up one. I’m thinking I’ll tuck it away in my wallet, and one day…that number will come up!

Posted in dogs, running, walking

Don’t worry about me. Just go.

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash

She stopped right in the middle of the road.

I shouted, “What are you doing?” I actually shouted that to the Great Dane who was, for once, obediently sitting next to me. We were just waiting for the traffic to pass so we could cross the street and continue our walk.

But this lady decided to stop. Right in the middle of the road. Right in the middle of a busy street.

Okay, let me explain. I’m a city boy. I grew up in suburban Philadelphia. You don’t walk out in front of traffic. Not if you don’t want to die. But here in Florida, people do it all the time. I know, pedestrians have the right of way. But that’s assuming pedestrians have looked both ways to see if any cars are coming.

The rules are different in Florida. I blame Walmart. In front of their store, cars have to stop for people walking through the striped areas of the parking lot. I watch many walk out without a glance for oncoming cars. I’m not so brave. I wait. I let them go. I don’t trust them. (I don’t trust anyone.) I’m not going to walk in front of any car, assuming it will stop for me.

So we are out for our morning walk. The Great Dane and I have crossed to the middle island of the four lane parkway that runs north and south through our city. She is doing well today. She sits next to me as we wait for the traffic to pass. I am ready to say, “Heel,” as the last car in a pack goes by. But the car slows and comes to a stop. Really? Just like that, when other cars are zipping by?

I’m not falling for that. We’re staying put. I simply look away, as if I don’t notice them at all. I’ll wait. I’ve got all day. Finally, they drive off, and we can cross the road.

I’ve had this problem running, too. I am pacing myself, waiting for a car to pass, and they slow down or stop. They think they are doing me a favor. I chuckle, and run around behind them. Just drive your car. Don’t worry about me. Just go.

I’ve run and biked enough miles that I know how to avoid people who aren’t paying attention, couldn’t care less, and probably shouldn’t be driving anyway. You live longer when you’ve got some situational awareness and don’t trust anyone.

Posted in treasure

Free money: a few cents here and there

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I pick up every coin I find.

I most often find pennies or dimes when I’m walking the dogs around the neighborhood or in store parking lots. While they check out the subtlest of smells along the ground, a reflection or a circular shape catches my eye. It’s not always a coin. Sometimes it’s a washer, a bottle cap, or some other piece of trash. But other times it is free money, waiting for me on the road.

I mostly find pennies and dimes. I know, these don’t amount to much. But for some reason, I love coming home from a walk just a little bit wealthier. Or, at least having found a treasure, no matter now small. Surveys report that over half of all Americans are like me, and will stop to pick up a penny on the ground.

Bus stops and house construction sites are likely places to spot a coin. Coins fall from the pockets of contractors who have been to convenience store for the day’s water and lunch. A few cents fall from the car as parents drop off children for school. Enough people still shop with cash to leave change behind in a store parking lot when they pull their car keys out of a purse or pocket.

If I were to add up everything I’ve found, it would only total a few bucks. But it’s still satisfying to find something of value, even if so very small.