Seeking a New Boulder Walking Story

Walking writes me, and my walking creates stories about where I sojourn.

For decades, I’ve walked daily wherever I’ve found myself – Michigan, Prague, Toronto, Dallas, Denver, Boulder, Amherst – the list exceeds the word count here. Rambling covers rural, urban, seaside, or mountain routes.

Walking in Boulder is a mixed bag. Sidewalks abound – or they don’t. Although we have crosswalks, some with signals, some with traffic lights, drivers and cyclists (especially) often ignore them, imperiling the fragile pedestrian in their crosshairs. Nor are pedestrians saints – they often cross willy-nilly with their eyes glued to cell phones. I would like to see all those on roads and sidewalks held accountable for their actions, being respectful for the rules that should theoretically keep us all safe.

Most of all, I want to normalize walking in Boulder. For twenty-six years, I’ve walked daily and I get intrusive questions weekly: “Do you walk every day? Why do you walk? How far do you walk? How many miles?” Cyclists, runners, rock climbers, marathoners, and so forth dodge these questions; they are “normal” but walking to work, walking the dog, and walking to think and write are suspect in Boulder. I’d like to write a new story.