The night kicked-in and that was the sign for me to take a walk down by the perfect black and flat soil, where houses and green bushes are in abundance. It was also where a pair of coyotes meandered for food and fun.
I turned the corner from Marine Drive, and entered the quiet of the farmland described above when a thought came. There are two types of people that can walk endlessly – a monk and a criminal. A monk walks about, exercising detachment from the world. A criminal walks about and just keeps going because no one wants him around.
For me, walking spells freedom because I see and encounter something fresh every time. As I was pacing along, I met a middle-aged fellow. Let’s call him Jim. We were at a crossroads and ended up walking in the same direction so naturally we talked. I mentioned to him my thoughts about the two types, but not implying he was a criminal. However, he certainly is not a person who’s renounced. He has a house nearby, but he’s giving himself some moments to ponder in the course of his walk. That makes him somewhat introspective. I believe there to be a shared vocation of walking and that’s what is important. We connected through walking. We finished our chat when I said “My name is Swami,” hoping he’d say his name. “See ya!” Was his response. We came to that corner where you suddenly turn to Marine Drive. The traffic deafened all other sounds.
Source: http://thewalkingmonk.blogspot.com/2022/12/saturday-december-17-2022.html
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