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How to Take a Walk

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Re: How to Take a Walk

#51

Post by simonw »

neilk wrote: post #31

Tangent, on "having a life". I met a woman from New York who was visiting SF. We both had been to Burning Man. She expressed her distaste at how much time San Franciscans spend on their art projects. According to her, New Yorkers "have a life". So, that bar conversation ended pretty quickly. But later on I got to thinking about it. There might be positive senses of "having a life", but I think she meant it in the mor…

I get really infuriated by the phrase "too much time on their hands", when used to dismiss acts of creativity (like building a model of the Eiffel tower out of match sticks). At least they weren't watching TV.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#52

Post by themanr »

I feel very lucky to live very close to a promenade - a space designed for taking a nice little walk by the sea. As others have said, walking is very helpful for problem solving and creativity.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#53

Post by rdtsc »

kranner wrote: post #50
rdtsc wrote: post #13

This is very important for programmers. You need to take a walk to recharge your batteries. To clear you mind. Well, it works for me anyway. Do it during lunch, after work, after dinner. On the weekend , for a longer walk. Parks and trails work best. Less crowded streets in the city work as well. Don't rush, just walk slowly. Observe things. If you end up thinking about the problem your are working on, that's fine, i…

These are already too many instructions. When someone provides a plan, for some reason I am compelled to follow it meticulously or reject it entirely. I could use an Ask HN on how to loosen up.

Just for you: follow the last instruction only.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#54

Post by prs »

I love the energizing effect a walk can have on my mind. What I also love is to have a smartphone and a notebook with me. This allows me to quickly jot down notes and thoughts once I get kissed by a muse.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#55

Post by bootload »

I like walking. [0] I like it a lot. It's my preferred mode of transport but I also do it to keep my observation skills sharp and mind clear. I used to like running, but that requires a whole different level of concentration and preparation. You also get injured more. Less so walking. Walking is one thing pretty much everyone can do. I've kept up walking ever since I was a kid at school. From Primary to High to Uni I had to hoof it [1] and the one thing I noticed from High School onwards - "I stopped seeing my peers walking".

The author is correct observing nobody walking any more. I see a lot of runners who I join occasionally and the only consistent walkers the elderly (fit) and ethnic (fit). Why? Well people don't see the value in it and simply write it off as wasted time. Here's the thing, the benefits are cumulative so it might appear a waste of time but the advantages (fitness, psych, clean air, thinking) roll on, the more consistent you are.

[0] Last year I clocked up 2000K ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157623445003205... This year I walked 240km from Canberra to Mt.Kosciuszko (9 days) ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/collections/7215762379... This month I covered all of the city of Singapore on foot in 2 days ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/collections/7215762454...

[1] Because every time I saved up enough money for a car I bought a new PC.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#56

Post by zbyszek »

barrkel wrote: post #22
ohyes wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a fellow American who takes walks,I disagree with the perceived antagonism. I think part of the point is that there is something deep-seeded in our culture that punishes idleness. That is the social anxiety he describes. I do have a little anxiety when I'm going for a walk, alone, not particularly doing or thinking anything. Will people think I'm some sort of weirdo? The observation that this worry is itself worri…

An acquaintance of mine (Irish like me) visited the US some time in the mid 90s. He took a walk in a suburban area, and was surprised to find himself being followed by a police car before long. When they stopped and asked him what he was doing, it dawned on him that because he wasn't jogging, or walking a dog etc., someone had actually called the police when they saw a stranger walking aimlessly down their road. Need…

Something similar happened to me in the US, but then again I've been stopped by the police in the UK too while out for a walk. In the latter case it was about 4 a.m. and I must have looked suspiciously sober.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#57

Post by bootload »

leftblank64 wrote: post #26

This guy here knows what it's all about: http://imjustwalkin.com/

"... This guy here knows what it's all about: http://imjustwalkin.com/ ..."

not a touch on Ed Stafford: 859 days & 4,000 miles of walking the entire Amazon ~ http://www.walkingtheamazon.com/ but looking at the shots, beautiful scenery. Envious.

Re: How to Take a Walk

#58

Post by mrphoebs »

michaelfairley wrote: post #21

"You will not sweat." The author has clearly never lived in Texas during the summer. (A decent-length leisurely walk around Austin at midnight during this time of the year will inevitably result in more than enough sweat.)

hahahaha, did you just the indian immigrant never experienced something like a texas summer. :)

Re: How to Take a Walk

#59

Post by brianpan »

johnfn wrote: post #9

I liked the article; it expressed something that had been lingering on the edges of my subconscious, but that I had never brought to light - like most good articles do. What I don't see is why it had to have an anti-American bias. It doesn't help make your point, and all it does is antagonize your American readers. I am an American, I also take walks.

I disliked the part where he assumes he can tell where someone is born by looking at them. :(

I wonder if he thinks he looks like a native-born or an immigrant?

Re: How to Take a Walk

#60

Post by barrkel »

zbyszek wrote: post #56
barrkel wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An acquaintance of mine (Irish like me) visited the US some time in the mid 90s. He took a walk in a suburban area, and was surprised to find himself being followed by a police car before long. When they stopped and asked him what he was doing, it dawned on him that because he wasn't jogging, or walking a dog etc., someone had actually called the police when they saw a stranger walking aimlessly down their road. Need…

Something similar happened to me in the US, but then again I've been stopped by the police in the UK too while out for a walk. In the latter case it was about 4 a.m. and I must have looked suspiciously sober.

I find the UK oddly authoritarian / rigid in many of these ways. My GF and myself decided to go to a lake (actually some kind of reservoir) near London on a hot day a month or two ago, and were rather surprised to find out that the lake closed at 6pm.

The very concept of a lake closing, never mind at 6pm on a summer evening (easily light out until 10:30), was alien to my Irish mind.

Meanwhile, there was an article in the Guardian, about whether or not it's OK to go wild camping:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/09/holidays-w...

Similarly, the notion that going to a campsite could be described as camping was weird. I view campsites as more like unpleasant cheap muddy hotels - I grew up understanding one of the appeals of camping is being in the middle of nowhere, with nobody around. The idea of having other people, music, barbequeues, people drinking etc. all around sounds horrible to me.

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