I realized this week that I have to get out of the chair more often. Research shows that sitting for prolonged periods can cause obesity and insomnia, which explains why we’re all getting fat and sleeping fewer hours than we’d like.
At least I know that I can still walk quite a few miles when motivated: I just walked a good 6-8 miles while carrying about ten extra pounds of stuff in a shopping tote. Which I had to pay for, because of the new bag rules going into effect everywhere. Shopping is costly, and so are bags.
After I bought the bag, I went to an employee appreciation event and they gave me a free tote bag. I had to hold back from being an ingrate and saying to them, “You should’ve been with me an hour ago, when I could’ve used this tote bag to haul my purchases for free.
This is how my car has become a repository for bags which never seem to leave the trunk.
We’re in the habit of going into stores empty-handed and coming out with bags full of stuff. Some ancient idiocy has programmed us to feel silly carrying empty bags into a place, so we’ll have to get rid of this mindset.
It could become a fashionable, socially acceptable habit to actually have a bag for each store, and proudly take it inside to fill up with purchases.
The next big thing will be to come up with bags that won’t embarrass people when they bring them inside. The more expandable (and collapsible), the better.
The habit of walking is a healthy one to cultivate, and I have done my share, but when my job requires my presence in front of a computer screen for a full day, it’s hard to get any steps in. I usually work some in by doing errands during my breaks and lunch. The time doesn’t seem to slow down, either, during breaks, but fly as if somebody has accelerated the natural order of its passage.
A friend of mine retired and now walks daily, and she walks across entire town borders. Because she has the time. I don’t even think she owns a watch anymore, unless it’s a fitness device.
So I’m now committed to stepping out a bit more, and the warmer weather will make it easier to do. I just have to remember that, if I stop in a store, I must bring a bag with me to put my purchases in. I wonder if I should use a plastic bag, or would that be considered unfashionable?
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