I promised my wife that while she was away this weekend that I’d have her car looked at. The brakes have been squeaking. This week was busy with the usual stuff, so I waited to do it until this weekend. The place that we get our cars repaired is Tuffy Auto Center. Tuffy is located pretty conveniently, when you’re driving. Well, I had made up my mind early this week that I would drop the car there on Saturday morning, walk back home, then walk back over to pick it up. Round trip, that journey is about 5 miles with very moderate hills in between.
So, this morning, away I went. I dropped of the car, walked back home. It took about 50 minutes to get home. I hung out here for a while, got a call saying that the brakes where just peachy … but, that the shocks needed replaced. OK. Do it. When the work was nearly completed, I got a call and away I went. The morning’s journey was good. It was cool and overcast, around 74 degrees F. I worked up a bit of a sweat, but it felt good.
The way back, it had warmed up into the lower 80s, around 82 ?. As I walked, it triggered a memory from long ago and a slight smile came across my face. I remembered when I was young, about 10 or 12, and my brother Henry came home from the Marines. Well, he was in really good shape and used to going on long marches every morning, so he decided to indoctrinate his little brother into the Marines, so to speak. I remember that we walked everywhere!!! He didn’t have a car, but he didn’t mind. Personally, I would have rather caught the bus, but walk and walk walk we did.
When I got to Tuffy’s and after I had a nice cool drink, I called him. Henry is now 58, 10 years my senior. I asked if he remembered about it and he did. We shared a pretty good laugh about that.
So, I’ve walked my 5 miles for the day. Hmmm, I’m reconsidering that SoFoBoMo idea of A Journey of 100 miles. You know?! 100 miles is a long way! 
Maybe I’ll rename it: While walking!
Related Posts :
Great vistas, though According to my recollection and loose accounting, Hobbs and I have walke ...
I made a promise to Hobbs that I'd walk him for a minimum of 10 miles/week, weather permitting. ...
Hobbs and I have several paths to choose from when we go for a walk. Actually, I do the choosing ...
Love it, Paul, when you can pull me in to a good serious story then make me laugh. And, yes Walking would work for that SoFoBoMo.
Perfect photo for a story that brought a big smile to my face
Thanks, Cedric. I’ve had that photo for several months. Sometimes we just save them for special occasions.
Very nice story and making that call and reminiscing about old times was a great thing to do.
Henry and I talk about once per month. It was my turn to call and figured that it would be a pretty cool call to make and to talk about that stuff. I had forgotten about it until yesterday.
Is that the car in the image above? Just something about that image I like.
No. That’s just a jeep that I saw one day on a walk. I believe that I took that photo during my last week in SC. Vera has a minivan. I liked the smiley face, which is why I took the photo.
Paul, a great story! Thanks for sharing.
What a great story from your past that came up by just walking. It’s not just walking, of course. You seem to have gotten yourself on a good journey, both for body and soul. It’s something about walking and slow running, you start to think almost instantly, I just love that part of my running. It’s a really good SOFOBOMO theme, while walking.