Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Zwickelmania puts the taste buds to the test Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation State News Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Nation - World Obituaries Arlene M. (Ryan) Mills Michael Wayne South Claire G. Craft Theodore F. "Ted" Carter James Fredrick Shareable This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders perfect on senior day Millers smother Grizz on senior night Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules High school Millers smother Grizz on senior night Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Southern Oregon University Raiders perfect on senior day Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules Raiders sweep Hope Int., stay perfect Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Workers need more power Landgren cartoon: Disneyland measles outbreak Matthew T. Mangino: The government has access to your emails Our View: Support schools — again Editorial Our View: Support schools — again Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 10 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Columns Workers need more power Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Jeffrey Gillespie: Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington Editor's Notes: More local content in the Tidings Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Young poets need your help 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Brett Dennen plays the old Ashland Armory Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Theater 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Victor D. Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Fifty Shades’ of boring Movie review: ‘Kingsman’ transcends spy-movie tribute status Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Looking Up: The sky on Valentine's night Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Marketta Gregory: We are loved Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Comment By David Murdock The Gadsden Times DailyTidings.com By David Murdock The Gadsden Times Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 1:52 pm By David Murdock The Gadsden Times Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 1:52 pm » Social News Sometimes it’s easy to forget how pleasant some of the simple things in life truly are. In our world, things move fast. It almost seems that our lives blur sometimes, we’re so constantly and continually in motion. This thing has to be done, and that thing has to be done, and all those things have to be done RIGHT NOW! That fact frustrates me. I’m not even sure anymore when life became so fast-paced. All I am sure about is that the pace of 2015 grates on me, every now and again. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to get in better shape. I know, I know. Everybody resolves to do the same thing. Well, I never claimed to be an original thinker. It’s been so long since I’ve exercised regularly that I thought I’d take it easy at first, maybe take a nice 30-minute walk. Did I say “easy?” That first 30-minute walk of the New Year like to have done me in, as we say over in Reece City, Alabama. First of all, it was bitterly cold, but I have a nice coat of insulation (which is why I need to get in better shape to begin with), so I thought I’d be OK. No. Just a couple of years ago, I could walk three miles in 45 minutes flat and only break a moderate sweat. If it hadn’t been so cold, I would have filled the proverbial sweat bucket. I may not be an original thinker, but I am very good at facing reality. I needed to work up to what used to be a rather mild workout for me, so I backed off the amount of walking time to 20 minutes and started over. I love walking. I truly, truly do. I love it so much I don’t know why I ever get out of the habit. Finding that perfect rhythm of steps so that the body seems to glide along the earth puts me into a meditative state of mind, and there’s a sort of paradox there. As the pace of the walk slows the day, something very strange happens. Walking myself into a near-meditative state always helps me sort out lectures, turn over problems and sift through all the vicissitudes of life. Walking is not only good for physical health — it’s good for mental health, as well. Walking not only clears the mind, it quickens it, too. The thoughts come spilling faster and faster as the pace picks up. The only thoughts that spilled quickly through my mind that first walk of the year were related to whether or not I would make it home. I think I may have even calculated the betting odds of finishing the 30 minutes. I made it. I may not be an original thinker, but I am stubborn and persistent. I’m not the only one to love walking so much. Henry David Thoreau walked inveterately. Most people know his masterpieces “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience,” but he also penned a lengthy essay titled “Walking.” Thoreau talks about “sauntering” — he prefers that word to “walking” — up to four hours a day. Another dedicated walker was the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who left an unfinished manuscript titled “Reveries of a Solitary Walker,” which describes his ambles about Paris. Discovering those books opened a new vista for me. Both men describe walks of long duration, something I hadn’t considered. When I researched the topic a bit, I found out that many people used to take “walking tours.” They’d simply strap on a backpack and take off. About the same time I found these books, I also found out that my GPS has a “walking mode” that tells me how long it will take to get to my destination by foot. I found this feature when I accidentally tapped it trying to locate a place in Hokes Bluff, Alabama. When the estimated time of the trip came back as six hours, I began to wonder how big Hokes Bluff really is before I noticed the mistake. Wow — six hours to walk to Hokes Bluff! That’s quite an amble, but I think I can top old Thoreau. It might be more than an original thinker would come up with — walking from Reece City to Hokes Bluff just for the fun of it — but I bet a stubborn and persistent man could pull it off. If he spends a while getting back into walking shape, that is. After that first walk of the New Year, I’ve been working on it. I’m not back up to walking every day yet, but 20 minutes is somewhat easy now. When I feel better about it, I might just try that six-hour saunter to the Bluff. Y’all leave a light on for me over there. David Murdock is an English instructor at Gadsden (Ala.) State Community College. He can be contacted at [email protected]. By David Murdock The Gadsden Times DailyTidings.com By David Murdock The Gadsden Times Posted Feb. 13, 2015 @ 1:52 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501