by L. Shell Madden

Created on: June 04, 2008

Exercise - The Walking Bus Mom's older sister Kay lived in Florida where my folks visited every year of about six, until they finally bought a house of their own. The stipulation was, the house had to be within walking distance of Kay's house. In a family who walk as much as ours does, that gave them a large area to work within. So it was no surprise when I heard they'd bought a little two bedroom house ten blocks away. I'm still not sure what started it all, both of them are healthy active people with more energy than most folks half their ages. But seven days a week, early December to the end of April, rain or shine, Mom & Da got up at 6:30 to walk. You could set your watch by them. They would be out the door at 7:15 headed down the block and on their way to Kay's. At first there were only Mom Da, and Kay, they would walk a half hour circuit, stop at a caf for coffee and a morning gossip, then walk home by way of Kay's. It usually took between two and two and a half hours for them to get back home.

The next ones to join the walking club where the couple two doors down from Kay. Charlene & Gordon. He was a preacher and was struggling with a heart condition, she walked with him as moral support (and to loose a couple of pounds, but she'd never admit that out loud). So now there are five of them Then Jim & Bob the couple from across the alley joined the fun. Jim had the most cutting whit, it made the walk a great time, and with seven of them the caf staff were always glad to see them. George and Ellie joined next. They were neighbours of Mom & Da, but after the first week of walking to the walk, walking and walking back from the walk, found it was just too much walking for them so they started driving over to Kay's It was along about this time that I was out visiting my folks, and of course I was game for the walk, after all, I was a health forty-ish woman and these were all retirees, how tough could it be. The first day was a bit tough, the two hour time difference from Arizona to Florida had be getting up at 4:30 am, but up I got and off we went. That day George and Ellie didn't join us, nor did Gordon so there were only seven of us I remember thinking we looked like a group of kindergartners out for a day trip all we needed was to be holding hands and have a teacher in front calling, "keep together, keep together" over her shoulder. By Saturday I was really looking forward to the walk. Mom, Dad and I left at the usual time. We passed George

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>