I recently read an article that touted the advantages of walking backwards. Apparently calorie burning is doubled. I haven’t tried it because sometimes I stumble walking frontwards and my body wasn’t designed to go backwards since my feet point frontwards, and my neck doesn’t swivel all that well. I thought it was an interesting prospect, however, so I just kept it in mind and wondered what other lesson I could learn from “backwards walking”.
Last week, my daughter returned to her old school to take a computer course offered there, one afternoon a week. The school has changed in 20+ years, but I noticed that she walked the halls without thinking and found her way, easily, in what seemed to be a maze to me. It proved to me once again how our brains are imprinted. Thoughts, experiences, smells, and paths are all there, crystal clear when called upon.
Therefore, I concluded that going backwards can be a healthy thing. For some.
I revisited my youth by writing this blog. Many of the places I lived are gone, or too far away, but I found other ways to connect with the past. I told about my parents, my family, my life and somethings that I found interesting, hoping that some others would take the voyage with me. I hope so. In writing about my past, I was able to put my entire life in perspective. I saw the paths I had taken clearly, and understood the set of circumstances that led me one way or another. Not to say they were right, in fact some were pitifully misguided, but I just naturally wrote about the good times. I could have written about the bad times too, but as I wrote, they all lost their significance. Like a bad dream. I actually thought that I never learned a thing from my success’s, but learned everything I knew from my failures. Guess what? That is only partly true. My failures taught me what not to do. My happiness taught me what to do.
Writing this blog has been an exercise in walking backwards. Along the way, I lost plenty of baggage (calories), and my head (mind) swivelled 360 degrees. Try it.
June 20, 2009 at 4:10 pm |
Pat
Never mind sales, you should have been a writer. Correction, you are a wonderful writer. We enjoy every article and laugh with you. I look forward to your articles and marvel at how you put everyday things into perspective.
Miki
June 20, 2009 at 4:33 pm |
Thanks, Miki.
I am always amazed at how like-minded we all are.Keep on laughing it’s good for the soul.
December 4, 2009 at 11:44 am |
Here is a little trick I did not believe until I tried it myself. It is a cold winter day and you are wearing eyeglasses. You walk into a building and poof! your glasses fog up. Next time, try walking into the building backwards. I know, it sounds really odd but it works. The human head is where the highest amount of heat loss occurs. Walking backwards forces the heated air from your head to warm the lenses. Strange but true and another good reason to walk backwards.
Paul D.
December 4, 2009 at 3:15 pm |
Thanks for that.
There have been almost 15,000 readers/visitors to my blog so far. That’s really encouraging.
Regards,
littlepatti