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Walking the Talk in Hamilton, NY By Samanthi Martinez Email:samiamny at twcny dot rr dot com (above email address formatted to reduce spam) January 24, 2008 The day was bitter cold, with a sharp icy wind picking up speed across the Village Green. I walked, huddled against the blast, gloved hands stuffed into my pockets. Smart people were driving today, but I love to walk, even when it is bitterly cold. I can safely say that I have walked all over this town. On a regular basis, I walk to the post office, the bank, do a little shopping, stop at Crowe's Drugs for a prescription, pop into Wayne's Market for the makings of dinner, pick up a pizza, drink a cup of tea at the Barge Canal Coffee House with a friend, and drop off a book at the Hamilton Public Library. I criss-cross down Payne Street and Pleasant Ave. and Kendrick, between Maple and Lebanon and University Street. Stopping at the Triangle Park, I watch industrious squirrels race up trees until they think I can no longer see them, and then they stop to watch me. I've hiked up Spring Street, rounded the corner by Seven Oaks Golf Course and headed out East Lake Road. I talked my daughter into a walk across the golf course once, and worried that we wouldn't find a way out before dark. I've strolled through Madison Lane Walking Path, enjoying the trail beneath a dark evergreen mini-forest, around a wetland pond, across a wild meadow and through the gnarled apple orchard that reminds you of a fairy tale. You might say we're spoiled, living in the Village of Hamilton, New York, but to me it is an investment in alternative transportation. When we moved to Hamilton, we brought only one car. I made a deal with my husband: forget the car payment, auto insurance, gasoline, oil changes, repair bills, and buy me a new pair of shoes each month because I'd rather walk. Now, two years later, it is our college-student daughter who drives our second car, and often it is more convenient for me to walk into town than drive. Sure, it might take more time to walk than to drive, but you don't have to spend time shoveling the driveway or warming up the car. One evening, we drove the car to the Hamilton Movie Theater, only to find that all the good parking spaces were already taken, so we ended up driving back to the house, parking the car and walking back. It is somehow easier to justify having to stop in at Maxwell's Chocolates for a dark chocolate cherry cordial when you've just walked there. People may not realize that walking, though low impact, can be great exercise. According to www.walking.about.com, "walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes burns stored fat and can build muscle to speed up your metabolism." You'd think I would have wasted away to nothing with all the walking I do. Maybe it's too many stops at Byrne Dairy for ice cream. Anyway, walking is good cardiovascular exercise, requires no special equipment, and it really gets you somewhere. If you already have the physique of a Hollywood movie star, or have a personal trainer, then maybe the price of gas will inspire you to leave the car and walk your errands. When prices soared last summer, I snickered as I strode past the gas station, or I stopped in to buy a bottle of water, asking how much it was per gallon. You can also be sure that you're not doing a bit of harm to the environment by walking. No exhaust fumes, no depleted fossil fuels. You might even pick up a bit of litter while you're out. Once I found a half-full bottle of Jack Daniels next to the sidewalk. Somebody must've been out drinking and walking the night before. I emptied it out in the gutter and tossed the bottle in a nearby recycle bin. Sorry kids, I'm just doing my part for the environment. Although it takes concentration to avoid the really large cracks in the sidewalk, or the mini-chasms created by snaking tree roots, walking is mostly a mindless activity. I can even walk and chew gum. But there are other things you can do with your time when you take the time to walk. You can plan your day; think about important things -- like what you're going to have for lunch. You can meditate -- or pray while you walk, you can watch leaves falling, or snow falling, you can smell flowers, hear the wind rustling through trees, you can feel your own heart beat, you can count your blessings, or not do anything at all but walk. Even if you must drive, to work, to school, to shop or run errands, try parking the car and walking part of the way. The same old stretch of road won't seem the same when you're walking it. Maybe you disagree with me, saying, "Time is money -- and you're wasting it." Well, I say, "Time is precious, and I'm savoring it." The journey isn't just the destination; it's about all the steps along the way. One day I walked to Community Memorial Hospital to see a friend, another day I walked to Kinney's Drugstore to pick up some photos. Once I bought a new broom at Parry's Hardware and had to carry it home. Maybe that's a good rule of thumb -- buy only what you can carry. In that case, I'm walking over to Cazenovia Jewelers! About the author: I am a freelance writer who contributes to the local weekly newspaper, writes for the Syracuse New Times and the Family Times magazines. I am also a lover of Prairie Home Companion (and Garrison!). After spending most of my life in the lifeless suburbs, my family and I are finally at home in a small town in Upstate New York. Somehow I think that Lake Wobegon got me there. | | | |
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