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Learning to Walk


You can tell by this picture that I don't walk with perfect form. In fact, I have a tendency, decades old, to walk on the outside edges of my feet, with my toes pointed out at about a 45-degree angle from body. The tread wear on the upper part of the shoe, near the ball of my feet, shows the times I have made a concerted effort to point my toes straight forward and to walk on the base of my foot. Clearly, I've occasionally done a little overcorrecting. I believe this is the beginning of my third winter with these boots. Worn spots are a slip hazard, but these are expensive shoes and there's so much good tread left. The most likely scenario is that I will keep using these boots this winter, trying to be conscious of how I'm walking and being extra cautious when I'm in a slippery situation. I might even buy ice grippers for the boots- which will give extra tread in the spots that I have worn it off. 

My years of walking with extreme turnout have actually hurt me. I do special stretches to move the muscles of my thighs. These muscles, running around my femur, have adapted to my way of walking, but are now no longer aligned and shaped correctly for my body or my activities. I lay on the floor with my legs flat and then bend one knee, pressing it down and in, so that my legs make a K shape. The stretch feels great. For a while, I will walk "normally", but then I forget and I penguin-walk with my dog or my kids or around the grocery store, only remembering when I pay attention to my tread, my steps, my motion. 

It's hard to break this habit, even though I know it's hurting me and it's causing a premature death of my shoes- all my shoes. I've been walking this way for more than 30 years. It's tough to change. 

I'm telling you this because when you tell me that you have a difficult time praying or reading the Bible or getting to church or attending an adult education class or losing weight... I want you to know that I understand. I understand more than you think I do. I want to walk with you in this. I can and I will. I just need you to remind me, every now and then, to point my toes forward. 





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Jess Throlson said…
Thanks for this! It was much needed today!
November 4, 2014 at 8:58 AM
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