Steps of Life

 

When I was working, I didn’t realize that simply commuting on foot and by train meant I was walking about 6,000 steps each day—enough to count as moderate exercise. After retirement, however, I began walking mainly for health, this time without a specific destination. Good weather helps, but on a scorching midsummer morning when the temperature climbs past 30 degrees Celsius, 3,000 steps feel like my limit, and I sometimes consider skipping my walk. At such moments, I look back and realize that my daily commute had forced me to walk, and that habit quietly supported my health. In my late 50s, I often saw elderly people enjoying their morning walks while I rushed to work, and I envied their freedom. Now that I am one of them, I find myself envying those who stride briskly toward their offices. Perhaps this constant sense that the grass is greener on the other side is a human weakness—but it is also a charming trait. Either way, walking remains essential for maintaining independence, so I will continue to walk, step by step.

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