AMERICA HAS BECOME INSANE

I disdain most holidays. Christmas and Thanksgiving I like. I like Independence Day too. Most other holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are just made up by 5th Avenue so we spend our money on a bunch of junk. We used to celebrate George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays for the right reasons, but now we have Presidents’ Day, so government workers get a 3-day weekend while the rest of us work to pay for their paid Federal Holiday.

Now we have National Walking Day.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Our ancient ancestors were hunter/gatherers. Anthropologists tell us they walked an average of 7 miles per day to hunt, gather food, and move with the seasons. Walking is natural for us, and is part of our DNA helix.

But too many Americans don’t walk. We drive to the market, even if it is less than a mile from home. And look at the parking lot — no empty spaces close to the entrance. Oh, you might find a few vehicles parked on the outskirts of the lot, mostly people who don’t want their cars and SUV’s scratched by inconsiderate or incompetent shoppers.

Last year I reported that 68.5% of American Adults are overweight or obese. These people are selfish… they are driving up our health care costs, the cost of insurance, and the Government has responded to the epidemic by implementing Obama Care. What a dismal state of affairs, just because a majority of adults are too lazy to get off their fat butts to walk an hour or two a day, and they are raising generations of chubby kids. I know, this is an offensive and harsh statement, but what else can we do to change this trend that is costing the non-fat population to subsidize?

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

I walk everyday. Not because it is healthy, but because it is fun. Just like one can’t see much in a National Park if you don’t get out of your car and walk, you can’t see much in a city if you don’t get out and walk. But those around us think walkers are nuts! How did this happen? I don’t know.

A few years ago I was working at a client location in Pennsylvania. There was another facility about a mile away I needed to visit. Being a nice autumn day, I walked there and back. When I returned, many of the employees were incredulous to find out someone would walk two miles when they could drive.

Joyce and I visit relatives in Las Vegas during holidays. Often, because all the men watch sports all day on TV, I go for walks. It is about 5 miles from where we visit to a REI store. So it makes a nice walk there and back, although I never buy anything. Even though my relatives know I often backpack or go hiking, they can’t comprehend that someone could walk 10 miles when they don’t have to.

So if you know you should start walking everyday, then start walking. I know, it’s hard to change bad habits. For those who need help and need to learn how to walk, you might want to visit the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day website, where you can learn all about walking.