Born in the Sixties

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Daily Zen + Smiling Faces

It is remarkable how broadly powerful a sunny weekend day can be. If it also is well above normal early February temperature, then a perfect day can exist.

I’ve read a few articles recently about how many steps are the correct amount to achieve daily. An argument was made that the widely stated “10,000 steps” is a number pulled from the sky; not really scientific. Is the number actually 7,000 steps? Or did the hunter-gatherers of yore actually move 18,000 steps a day, so that should be the number?

Like most things these days, there is no shortage of correct answers, all vigorously defended. But to my thinking, missing the point. On a surprisingly nice February day, the time spent outdoors in the sun to walk 4 miles (so about 9,000 steps for me) has far more value mentally and spiritually than any cardio or physical benefit from the exercise value. The number of folks out walking, biking, pushing strollers, and walking dogs all had one less layer of winter clothes, and broad smiles on their faces. Hard to measure the benefit, but so easy to see.

Looking upstream along the Tittabawassee River, near the original site of Dow Chemical, or at least the brine well part of the company.