We're Here on this Earth to Saunter
The last item on my "to do" list yesterday involved running an errand to a place a couple miles from my home so despite the damp day I decided to make it into a leisurely afternoon walk. We live in downtown Seattle and the sidewalks have been relatively empty since March, but yesterday they were even more bereft of people than normal. Those who were out were hunched against the drizzle, hands pocketed, moving briskly with their masked faces bent toward the ground. I was prepared with my best rain gear, however, so with all that extra room, nothing I had to be doing, and plenty of time to do it in, I was sauntering.
It's been awhile since I've properly sauntered. Being an urban dog owner, I'm out walking every day, but even when I don't have any particular cause to rush, I rarely saunter. It's the habit of hurry, I suppose, based on Puritanical notions of efficiency or productivity or whatever. It takes a conscious effort to saunter.
