Welcome to From Insults to Respect. 

On this blog, we have been exploring the various characteristics that help people earn self-respect and respect from others. Today we focus on one of these–staying in physical and emotional shape by taking a daily walk. It is, of course, true enough that some good people have earned an enormous amount of respect even without bothering to stay fit, but let’s not have such cases deter us from at least considering the value of enhancing our respectability by engaging regularly in this financially free activity.

By the way, increasing respect by regular walking is not its only benefit. Numerous studies demonstrate that it increases your health and how long you live. Just this past week the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported on a relevant study that describes a cohort of 2110 adults  with a mean follow-up of 10.8 years. Participants taking at least 7000 steps per day, compared with those taking fewer, had a 50% to 70% lower risk of mortality.

So, for those of you who are regular walkers, let this post serve to provide a pat on your back. For those who haven’t given this healthy practice a fair chance, I’m hoping a little friendly encouragement might lead you to give it a try. To get you through the encouragement process, we’ll be drawing on some fun material from Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour show (see HERE).

Bob’s Show on Walking

Bob introduces his walking episode with the following words:

Welcome back to Theme Time Radio Hour, and you will have to forgive me if I sound a little out of breath. I just got back from my morning constitutional. A good walk is important for both body and soul.

Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” Aldous Huxley said his father considered a walk among the mountains the equivalent of church going. And the father of democracy, Thomas Jefferson, was known to say, “Of all exercises walking is the best.”

All the world, and all through history, people have known the benefits and joys of walking. So today we’ll be walking on the air, but we will not be walking on eggshells. If you’re walking the dog, or you can walk on water, or walk on clouds, or walk in rhythm, or just walk and not look back, you are going to enjoy the next hour as we play a musical accompaniment to your perambulations. So, get ready to walk the walk, and talk the talk.

Immediately after this delightful intro, Bob plays us a Jack Scott rockabilly song called “The Way He Walks.” There’s some fine harmonizing on this one.

For many people, the way they walk is listening to music with earphones. It’s pleasant doing it that way, and if it keeps your feet putting the miles away, that’s great. However, I’d like you to consider taking some time during your walk to just listen to your thoughts without such a distraction. It will transform the walk into a meditative experience, and in our society, with the TV so often on, and with distractions that come from internet devices, we end up not letting our mind sufficiently drift into our deepest concerns.

After Jack Scott’s song, Bob tells us:

The average person takes between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day, and walks about 115,000 miles in their lifetime. Wow, that’s more than four times around the world. 

Now you might be wondering how far 10,000 steps is. Well, the average person takes two and a half foot strides. That means that’s a little more that 2,000 steps for each mile. So, 10,000 steps is close to five miles. 

After this little tidbit, Bob introduces his next song, this one by Frankie Lee Sims–“Walkin’ With Frankie.” If you like a lively sax, this little number is right up your alley.

Speaking of walking with Frankie, or anyone else for that matter, one way to enjoy a good walk is to do it with a friend or a group of friends. If your friends aren’t into walking, a great way to meet new friends who do enjoy walking is to utilize a website such as Meetup.com.

As Bob’s show continues to stroll right along, at one point he tells us he’s playing songs with “strolling themes, parading schemes and walking dreams.” And then he launches into a great hit by Fat’s Domino, “I’m Walkin.’” Here are some of the lyrics:

I’m walkin’, yes indeed
And I’m talkin’ about you and me
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me, yeah

I’m lonely as I can be
I’m waiting for your company
I’m hoping that you’ll come back to me

The next song Bob plays for us has a similar theme, “Walking by Myself” by Jimmie Rogers.

You know I love you.
You know it’s true.
Give you all my love, babe.
What more can I do?

Walking by myself,
I hope you’ll understand.
I just want to be your lovin’ man.

John C. Riley

After a few more songs, Bob tells us about running into the actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and producer, John C. Riley, who told Bob about his feelings about walking:

I’m a huge walker. I always have been. From the time I was a little kid, it was the best way for me to kinda ruminate, meditate I guess. I mean I didn’t think about it that way when I was a kid, but now if there’s anything important to discuss, like if I have an issue with my wife or there’s something we need to work out, I really find it hard to sit in one place and look at the person and really download my thoughts, you know, so I say, “let’s take a walk.”

Benefits of walkingBob Dylanrespect