Walk'n'Talk

Eight-years-old, my best friend and I made up a game called walk'n'talk. We started this game our parents made us stop playing video games and force us outside. The apartment complex had a pool, but it was always being cleaned. I suggested walking around the complex.

He suggested talking about the random things we saw or talking about a host of off the wall ideas. As we walked and talked, our minds wandered, and our legs made unexpected routes.

He couldn't be too far out of sight of his grandmother, and I had a strict rule to not go into the parking lots that boarded the complex. To a pare of kids, this left a large enough area to walk around. Since we both enjoyed the same things as space, batman, and talking about the nature of reality, the walk'n'talk never grow dull.

I can't tell you the specific to the conversions we had because of the nature we talk about them. We take a left turn at a tan brick wall the complex had, and the conversation would change to the theory of color. The next turn at one of the buildings and the conversation changes to talking about a Disney movie. Truly random thoughts and an unexpected walking path. If one of us believes the path boring or the conversation finishes its course, we will change directions.

I moved from the complex to meet other friends, and I introduce this game to them and yet to meet anyone who never loved this game.

Lately, I have fewer friends, but I have found a new game for myself. I call it urban-hiking.

Urban-hiking sounds hipster, you say.

A little sure but, this is something that your parent's parents have been doing when they were young. It's straightforward you go outside, look to your left, then right, and choose which. As for your thoughts, don't think about work or school or anything. Simply look around you at the cars passing quickly by, at the house or apartments. But, look closely at there decorations like there garden gnomes or wind chimes or flowers.

A little list of instructions to prepare the urban-hiker, one dresses to the weather. Feel the outside, follow your weather app, and judge for yourself. I enjoy walking in the rain and snow, and I dress for it and always with my hat.

Next, time the length of your journey is essential. Now, I don't mean to set a timer but, to remind yourself to start going back home at some point. When you lose yourself in thoughts, you may find yourself lost in a neighborhood to far home.

That brings us to the third instructions, the route. You don't need to take a predestined way on Google maps or anything. A few laps around your block can be fun for beginners. When you are ready to do serious urban-hiking, walk to your grocery store over a mile away, or make a three-hour trip to your friend's house.

Last and the most crucial instruction, 'what do I think about?' Free thinking is supposedly hard for adults, and some teenagers, to wrap there heads around. You may wish to take some headphones to cancel out the loud humming of traffic, but I suggest not to because music can distract free thinking. Some of the first thoughts that will come to your mind are work or student life. You need to push these thoughts out. Outside is a perfect atmosphere to do this. Fix your eyes on a cloud as you walk. Really stare. Don't blick. Ask yourself what it looks like and don't say a cloud.

After twenty seconds, fix your stare at a person and ask three questions: What is there name? What is there quest? What is there favorite color?

When you are done answering these questions to yourself, blank out your mind by looking something straight ahead of you for ten seconds. By this time, you are prepared to think about whatever comes to mind. If it is work, school, or family, then think about them but challenge yourself to think about something new at the next bend on your block that has caught your eye. Eventually, if you walked far enough and changed your thoughts quickly, you will think about the nature of a whales' mind.