air

at times, when conversing with friends or trees, or the cat, i stumble over the phrase, "going for a walk" or "taking a walk" since i do use a power wheelchair and haven't actually "walked" for over thirty years.

it's not embarrassing, not to walk. on the contrary, it's actually sort of fun to buzz around in a chair. nevertheless, it is a blatant lie, whether malicious or not, to say i "went for a walk."

luckily, i recently overheard an old phrase that has fallen out of common usage, which offers a reasonable alternative to the conundrum presented above.

it seems, near the end of the nineteenth century, a common ritual for people to do was to go out-of-doors, into the fresh air and proceed on a morning, mid-day or evening walk, otherwise known as "taking the air."

however, it gives me (or anyone else who rolls, hops, ambles, scoots, creeps, crawls, drags-ass, crab-steps or whatever it takes to move oneself from one place to another and then back again for no particular reason other than just to do it) it gives us something else, something new to say, something lively and fresh.

it's not so boring as, "going for a stroll" or "riding my chair," which appears childish to the mind's eye, at best.

so the next time you go out for a senseless, meandering trip, doggy wee-wee, hysterical escape from depression -- whatever -- remember you're not just taking a walk anymore.

indeed, you're going for a walk, but more importantly, however it's done, whether on one's hands and knees, or even horizontal (and still breathing) you are taking the air.

yet, what a lucky few of us there are who will do it without ever even having to take a step.