Yesterday, turned out to be a great day. The weather was beautiful and with the leaves changing, there are so many scenic places in the Nashville area. I took my girls to take fall photos at the park. It was a great way to spend time with my kids.
I was planning to take a long walk alone after taking photos. Keeping to true Kristie form, I stepped in a huge pile of dog crap without knowing it. My husband pointed it out to me and of course it was all caked in to the grooves of the sole with leaves and rocks stuck to it. These are my new running shoes. Back in the day, I would have used that as my excuse to go home and call it a day.
I really did need to be outdoors and I really needed some alone time. I wet wiped my shoe as much as possible, scraped the soles in the grass and along the edges of the asphalt, and stuck it in a freezer size zip lock bag and placed it in the back of my car. I drove barefoot to a great park. I walked and walked and walked with no music. I made sure to watch where I was stepping to avoid stepping in more dog crap. There were dogs everywhere. Why people cannot pick up after their dogs is beyond me. If you can’t handle a big load of shit, don’t get a big dog. That’s my theory.
Shit aside, I had a lovely walk. I ended up walking over four miles in under an hour. Running has really sped me up because most of the walking was uphill. I felt at peace, very blessed, and very grateful for a day full of happy thoughts and memories. I really did expect it to be a day of deep sadness. It’s amazing what a little solitude and exercise can do for the mind and soul.