Walking Back - 1 Month to go!
One month to go till I start the walk! I’m starting to get excited – went shopping for walking shoes the other day. I’m a bit torn about buying a new pair. Firstly, I’m cheap, and the idea of spending ~$200 for a pair of shoes I’m likely to use for only a month (albeit a busy month) is a bit irksome. Secondly, part of the idea of the walk is to provide a physical and mental challenge. If I accept that premise, then buying new, abundantly cushioned footware would actually reduce the challenge. Thirdly, I’m not convinced that even top notch footware will eliminate problems. Minimize, yes, but eliminate? I’m not so sure….
I got a message from a friend yesterday quoting that famous philosopher Yoda. “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” Brilliant, succinct and very appropriate.
When I came up with the idea of “Walking Back to Saskatoon”, part of the reason to do it was because I wasn’t working at the time. As you are no doubt aware, the oil and gas business is suffering from extended downturn in pricing. Not just oil, which gets all the attention, but natural gas as well. That also has a significant effect on the streets of Calgary. A significant proportion of small to medium E and P companies focus on gas and liquids rich gas, so are struggling to survive. The company I work for is no different – there are little to no economics in drilling at these commodity prices, so we are pretty quiet. I`m a permanent part-time employee which means I only bill when I`m doing something useful. As a geophysicist the majority of my work is devoted to evaluating drilling locations. So, when we`re not drilling,…
Hence, the relevancy of Yoda`s comment. I `have the time` right now so it`s a good time to do this walk. I consult as well but have recently reached the end of an international project, so the time is right. I walked into work today, only 7.5 kms but if I do that consistently, it should help. Going to attempt to walk the golf course as often as I can as well. (Did I mention I'm not busy??)
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step".
