Monday, August 23, 2021

How is a Ride the Same as a Walk?

 I'm sure you realize that I'm getting out for a ride every chance I get these days.  Far too soon cooler fall weather will curtail my exploring, but I'll get out as much as I can in this warm weather!  I expect you feel a bit pleased for me that I can get out and about, but also think that a ride isn't as good as an actual walk.

I'm here to get you thinking differently.

My most recent 'me-in-my-chair' picture.

I've been brought to the realization that a ride is almost as good as a walk simply because I feel so good when I return home.  I feel refreshed and pleased with myself.  I've successfully got myself out and about and enjoyed it.  So what parts of a ride are the same as a walk?

Obviously I can't use the big muscles in my legs as you all do going for a walk.  But I certainly use all my other senses, including some you probably don't think of.

Using my vision is probably the same as you going for a walk.  Except that I have to look all around me, especially for traffic (and pedestrians on the downtown sidewalks) while you're just looking at your feet too much.  My mind seems to absorb what I'm seeing too, even when I'm not consciously thinking about it.  So I can later run down those streets remembering every corner and every building.  

At the same time I'm really enjoying my surroundings while meeting people and getting to know them.  I ask the women who serve me coffee for their names and memorize them, then I can be a little more friendly than average.  I notice trees, houses, the water, and activities that are always a little different.  I'm unconsciously memorizing the best paths on some roads to avoid the patches of crackly pavement (an engineer told me yesterday that those are called 'alligator cracks').

Vision is also the foundation of my sense of balance, of my spatial orientation to the world around me, and of safety.  Some cracks on downtown sidewalks are big enough that I have to slow down to go over them.  Downtown traffic light intersections demand special attention, both for my angle going down onto the road or back up onto the sidewalk, and for stupid drivers!

Hearing has also become much more important.  I find I can hear cars coming behind me even at quite a long distance.  Hearing prompts me to look to see the source of noises, and I guess I'm unconsciously assessing the safety risk every time.

I'm always alert to the sound of birds calling.  Downtown they're dominated by the raucous calls of gulls at the harbour, but I even notice the twittering sparrows.  And the other day I watched the shadows of a flock of pigeons fly back and forth across the main intersection.  I doubt that most people even noticed.

The sense of spatial orientation is also always important.  I always know where I am, both in relation to the longer route downtown and home again and to my immediate surroundings.  You seem to develop a 'sixth sense' that helps you be aware of and assess everything around you.

I seem to retain my sense of balance pretty easily, but when going up and down hills (as I have to going downtown or coming home) I do adjust the tilt of my chair.

I get lots of fresh air when I'm moving.  You be surprised at the breeze I generate moving along in the chair, faster than most people can walk.  It's like going for an endless slow jog, but with no physical effort.  Even on the hottest days I'm comfortable as long as I'm moving, or stop in the shade.  And I should note that the shade of a tree is far cooler than the shade of a building.

Going for a ride is not merely a physical experience, but a sensory experience, just as going for a walk should be much more than just exercise.  I interact with my environment, both maintaining my safety and accomplishing something.  So to me going for a ride is much closer to going for a walk than I every initially thought possible.

Because I notice the small things, and have no-one I'm trying to keep up with, I might even argue that going for ride is better than going for a walk!








21 comments:

  1. I'm glad you're finally having lovely weather so you can actually get out for your rides/walks.

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  2. It makes sense to me. You also have the memories of having done these excursions before. I have a friend whose husband was in a terrible accident almost two years ago and lost one leg entirely and half of the other one. Since it was caused by a city-run business, I suspect they had a pretty good settlement. They redid their home to be wheelchair accessible, he has a modified van he can drive, and a great wheelchair. My friend says they "walk and roll" every single day, and it's been good for both of them. Relatively speaking, that is. :-)

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  3. The ride is quite a sensory excursion for you. Let's hope we have a late and mild winter and you will get lots of rides in before it comes.

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  4. Good for you getting out as often as you can to see the sights and sounds of the world. Enjoy the nice weather and the coming fall colors.

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  5. You have such a great attitude and I'm so happy that you get out there and enjoy it so much!!

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  6. I am so pleased that you are able to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds that surround you.
    It does lift the spirit :)

    All the best Jan

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  7. Out and about and seeing it all with your eyes, makes me realise how much I might miss, I know walking round the block last year when we were in lockdown, I did notice a lot more than if driving past. Here, we are in lockdown again, the Delta cases are rapidly expanding, from 1 to 107 in 7 days, and that is without todays new entries. I am do thankful for the spring bulbs that are flowering, golden daffs, reminding me of that poem " I wandered lonely as a cloud" from maybe 1955 in High School. Enjoy your rides as the weather stays warm enough to get out there.

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  8. Some similarities to cycling but other advantages too. You do seem to get much more social interaction.

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  9. Hi, You used to comment on my blog a long time ago when I was posting. You were especially generous when my dad was dying. I want you to know that I read still read blogs but seldom comment. But this post is so inspiring that I have to say thank you.

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  10. My mother, who made use of a wheelchair in later life, always said there was another advantage: she could indulge in a little mild trespass, passing through a farm where there was a Private Keep Out notice. Although walkers were often stopped she was always waved through with a smile!
    As part of my job I used to teach children with learning difficulties to drive electric wheelchairs. These young people divided roughly into two groups - some could drive but went nowhere, preferring to rely on others to do everything for them; meanwhile the other group drove around continuously once they'd got the hang of it. That second group were mostly the naughtiest ones!

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  11. You are so right! Getting out and about is the ticket. Our season is so short. We have to soak up all the sun and experiences.

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  12. You have the eyes of a curious photographer and the ears of a nature lover. I'm thinking buildings may radiate a little heat where trees don't. Sensory awareness is a good thing and keeps one on the safer side of the coin. Kudos to you for prioritizing the positive things about your rides:))

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  13. i could not agree more. i always walked so slow and felt like i saw things that everyone else missed. it is so important to be outdoors, fresh air and vitamin d. you have an awesome view on life...i have been reading your posts for a long time and it has always been that way!!

    as for my chair, it offers less security when you are sitting in it but my entire upper body is fine. they say right on the website it is not a wheelchair or a power chair, but in reality, it is a type of power chair. it is extremely lightweight, 47 pounds with the battery, it folds up like a stroller so it is very convenient to transport. here is the link...

    https://www.zingerchair.com

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  14. I love to listen when we’re out and about. Last week we drove to a tiny village called Arolla. It’s at the end of the road on the other side of the valley from us. Quite high up. Sitting at my lunch table I could hear the rushing of the river at the bottom of the valley, the clonk of the cowbells from the cows grazing on the mountainside and the whistle of anxious marmots warning each other of possible danger. It’s a lovely place to visit. It’s good that you can get out and about and see nature. Watch out for electric cars though. They’re very quiet.

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  15. I suspect, based on prior posts, you were always attentive to what was happening around you, being in the chair has simply enhanced those traits. Getting outside is such a benefit to our mental health.

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  16. It is nice to stop and realize how different it can be for those of us who walk. I knew this stuff, but I also didn't. You might want to think about running for council or some other office to advocate for those who need access in so many ways.

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  17. It was interesting to read this post today after a walk I took yesterday. We walked the boardwalk as we do hundreds of times a year and I listened for the various sounds around me as I walked. It gave me a different perspective of the area. There is much to see and hear if we but open our minds and uses our senses.

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  18. Well said and for those who 'just walk', it is a wake-up call. Walking out here in the country, my hearing (and now Gibbs') is very acute to all that is around me too. Safety of a different kind. Thanks for the post, hopefully this weather will allow us all to continue to get out there whenever we can.💗

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  19. Good that you are able to get out and about.

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  20. So glad you can get out during the nice weather! Most people don't notice the things you do:)

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  21. Great post, F.G. I am impressed with your perspective and outlook!

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