Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Durjoy and Abe

Toronto, Ontario

I walked a young student from India in the direction of his rented apartment. It was a pleasant promenade east on Danforth over the Don River Valley. It is Durjoy's first time away from home as a student in a foreign country. He's a sincere young man who really does take to spiritual life well. He made a remark like, "I do chant on my beads every day. Do you recommend I do a mangal arati (morning ritual) every day before I leave for college?"

We walked through the 'Little Greece' section of Toronto. He says he likes the city. "It's so multicultural. Is it safe?"

"Fairly safe," I said. "Walking is always the safest way to go."

I trekked the one hour back that it took to get Durjoy to the Pape subway station (there's a Greek spelling for Pape on the road sign). Upon my return, I read an article about Abraham Lincoln, America's most popular president, and how he walked. His law partner remarked, "When he walked he moved cautiously but firmly; his arms and giant hands swung down by his side. He walked with an even tread, the inner side of feet being parallel. He put the whole foot flat down on the ground at once, not rising from the toe and with no spring to his walk."

Lincoln walked through the streets of Richmond, Virginia, shortly before the civil war ended in this southern state, which was life-threatening. He was a hated man there, as he was opposed to the south's stance on slavery. He symbolically walked through the town reflecting his own spirit.

And one more historically notable detail is that after he met Mary Todd in his younger years, it was on one of those personal or private walks that he paced back and forth to make a decision on whether to marry her or not. He finally resolved to have himself tie the know while walking the streets of Springfield, Illinois.

My conclusions regarding this great man's walking:

1) walking tells a lot about a person's demeanour
2) walking illustrates courage and bravery
3) walking is a safe way to travel
4) some of the most important decisions you make in life arise while walking

10 Km