"Two roads diverged in a wood and I--I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
Today I had to change the laces in my favorite shoes. Oh the thoughts and memories that went through my mind as I put new laces into these shoes I consider a gift from God......
It was a surprise for me to have the opportunity to visit Pittsburgh and New York City last spring. Today, as I re-laced these shoes, I couldn't help but think of that trip again. In Pittsburgh the hotel that C&T Publishing http://www.ctpub.com/ put me in for Spring Quilt Market and the release of my first book, "Embellishing with Anything", was within easy walking distance from the show. It was a delightful way to discover the downtown core, people- watch and absorb expressions and sights I would have missed by any other mode of transportation. As well, the days of the market were spent walking from booth to booth and on my feet all day talking to vendors and quilt shop representatives. Unfortunately, I didn't have these yet or I'd have worn them there too!
Walking is a way of being somewhere, rather than striving to arrive.
-Hillaby,John
And that is truly what I did in Pittsburgh. It was an unforgettable experience. And I shared it with Jan Krentz, http://www.jankrentz.com/index.php Those were special days I hope to have the opportunity to do over again sometime!
When I arrived in New York City a week later, meeting two friends there, we again walked everywhere we went, except for our time on the buses and the trains. But walking was certainly how we spent the majority of our time....and well spent it was too!
"The true charm of pedestrianism does not lie in the walking, or in the scenery, but in the talking. The walking is good to time the movement of the tongue by, and to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active; the scenery and the woodsy smells are good to bear in upon a man an unconscious and unobtrusive charm and solace to eye and soul and sense; but the supreme pleasure comes from the talk." ~Mark Twain
This quote very aptly describes our six days walking all over New York City. Three good friends on an incredible adventure walking and talking everywhere we went....and eating too!
But, by day three in NYC, I knew I was travelling with two women who are a decade or more younger than me. My feet were killing me! I had to miss out on one evening's activity (the Rockefeller Center) because my feet were just so sore. But the next day we passed a Skechers store..http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-clothing/styles/fitness/women_s_shape_ups/list
...and my love of walking was rekindled the moment I put these shoes on. We walked all day and well into the night for four more days and I didn't miss one minute, and there was NO breaking in period either! All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole. ~ Hal Borland
The following quote is especially fitting for a day in Central Park and Tavern on the Green: There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Paul Scott Mowrer
Here's a video on the shoes, and I whole heartedly support everything they say, except they haven't mentioned plantar faciitis, which they are fabulous for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWSdIlsnYfw Watch others on YouTube as well......there are many more people than me that think they're great!
Since returning home, I've walked miles and miles more in these shoes. I've walked the dog, walked to work, walked on the beach, walked to the store, stood all day teaching classes related to the techniques in my book, and more. I dread the day when this following quote can be applied to these shoes: When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Luckily I bought two pairs! YES....I went back and got more before coming home!
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