What I talk about when I talk about walking

Katerina Francisco

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What I talk about when I talk about walking
'I run to seek a void,' says Japanese author Haruki Murakami. I walk for pretty much the same reasons.

MANILA, Philippines – Tell someone that you’re taking a walk in Manila, and you’ll likely be met with the question “Why?” Say you’re going nowhere in particular, and you’ll be met with blank stares or puzzled expressions.

It’s easy to understand these reactions: Manila, after all, is not a walk-friendly city. Getting around means playing patintero with commuters, pirouetting around sidewalk vendors half-hidden under waiting sheds, and risking getting side-swiped by cars if you fall off the tiny spaces officially called ‘sidewalks.’

In Manila, walking for leisure is a foreign concept. Filipinos walk every day, but it’s walking with purpose: always in a rush to the next destination, a stressful, mindful activity.

Why would anyone want to go for a leisurely walk if you had to walk for miles because of heavy traffic and congested trains? How are you supposed to do that when poor urban planning leaves you jostling for space on the sidewalks and risk getting mugged in seedy places?

We don’t walk more than we need to. I’ve seen commuters flag down a jeepney in the middle of the road. There are no loading and unloading zones in Manila – the entire road is fair game, especially if traffic enforcers aren’t looking.

With poor urban planning, safety concerns, and a transport system that drives commuters crazy, it’s easy to understand why no one would want to walk. But it’s still a mindset I wish we could overcome.

I’m a big believer in the benefits of the leisurely walk. Back in college, I’d go for a walk to work out a tricky sentence or fix a problem. Walking around the sprawling green of Loyola Heights didn’t magically help me write my thesis, but it came pretty damn close.

I like to walk because it helps me clear my mind and refocus. These are precisely the things that are invaluable in today’s digital world, where information comes in torrents instead of trickles, and netizens react faster than they can look up the definition of ‘satire.’

Social media and instant messaging have made people too reactionary. They tend to jump on the bandwagon, raining fire and brimstone upon the latest personality to stir up the national fury. They fall for satirical articles and spread the link around – vitriol included – without pausing to think about it.

But the truly insightful and meaningful stories come when the writer sits down with the material, takes a breather, and pays attention to the facts. Investigative reports come from concentrated effort and reading between the lines, and that’s just not easy to do when you can’t focus or think creatively.

Old things in new ways

I’m not saying walking for leisure will transform you into a hard-hitting expert analyst overnight. But it can help you see old things in new ways.

I like to walk because the thrill of exploration, curiosity and discovery comes with it. When the mood strikes, I like to go around Manila with a camera and just walk around. I’ve photographed the same streets a dozen times, but let me tell you – that old city still has tricks hidden up its sleeve.

That’s why I keep walking: so I won’t feel settled in the old and familiar, so I’ll be forced to look for new and different perspectives. And nine times out of ten, it’s just a matter of getting out there.

No, walking around for no apparent reason won’t instantly make the Philippines a better place. No, we won’t suddenly have a revolutionary idea that could end hunger, solve poverty, and bring world peace.

But walking around allows you to observe people and ask why. It moves you to question why society behaves the way it does. And for journalists, this is where story ideas begin: from a deeply human level. – Rappler.com

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