Slice of Life Story Challenge March 5- What My Morning Walk Revealed


I like to walk in the mornings, work permitting. I like to walk briskly for about one hour. Apart from the health benefits of such action, it affords me time to think, observe and connect to the world around me. It also serves as a time for rehearsal. My writing life is well served by this time.

This morning I walked with the deliberate intention of harvesting sensory treasure from the trip into my neighbourhood. Listed below are my observances from this morning’s walk:

Nunn's Walk, Mornington ,Victoria, Australia

  • The joyous caroling of magpies in the morning
  • The aromas of the earth rising up as the warmth of the day began its inevitable rise.
  • The nonchalant indifference of mudlarks to passing walkers
  • Neil Young’s continuing downplaying of burning castles
  • A blanket of grey sky denying the sun its appointed time to shine
  • The rude stench of recently emptied garbage bins
  • The sweet smell of 'Cecile Brunner' roses wafting from an elderly neighbour’s garden
  • The vastness of the bay, silent and enormous stretching all the way to the horizon
  • The stillness of the coastal scrub and bushes
  • The distinctive smell of lavender hedges
  • Cocker-spaniel are not always willing walking partners
  • Not every walker you pass chooses to acknowledges your presence in their day
  • Nunn's Walk's curvaceous form creating so many blind corners
  • The sense that I am better for this experience
  • My eternal gratefulness for the music in my ears
The view across Port Philip Bay towards Mount Martha, Victoria, Australia 






Comments

  1. Alan, I love the descriptions of your walk. The imagery you create is perfect. It sounds like you have a really nice morning escape.

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    1. Thank you for your kind response. I am indeed fortunate to have this world to escape into.

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  2. I also find that my writing life, and my life in general are enhanced by getting out into Nature. You've got some great descriptions here--"rude stench" is one of my favorites. I feel soothed just by reading about your walk and I'm sure the firsthand benefits for you are even greater. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Molly, that enhancement you mention is indeed essential. Writing takes us away, so reconnecting with the wider nourishes our soul.

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  3. The answer was in my hand,
    that night as I spied
    the white cane laying in the gutter,
    and wondered about the Other;
    Ideas filtering through the alley at dawn
    forcing me to turn around to find you standing there
    like a building scraping the sky, and still you held on,
    turning around, finding me -- finding you -- turning --
    don't let it get you down ....

    --Kevin, lifting your idea and Neil to make a poem as word soundtrack here in the comment bin. Feels forced, but there I am ...

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    1. What a duo! Thanks Kevin for responding in your unique style.

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  4. Alan, I feel as if I was on that morning walk. I appreciate the sensory descriptors followed by the emotions that sensory stimulation evoked. Walking is good for the soul.

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    1. Always great to have someone to share the journey Deborah and it is part of a writer's responsibility to take the reader with them.

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  5. "A blanket of grey sky denying the sun its appointed time to shine." When I walk (and I haven't walked at all this winter--shame on me), I always always see imagery I had forgotten to remember. thank you.

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    1. Thank you for your close reading Kimberley. I enjoyed writing that line.

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  6. This reminds me of Don Murray and Ralph Fletcher's advice to writers. Keep that journal and notice all that is around them.

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    1. Aileen, I am humbled by the association. A writer must be a keen observer and that is something that often sets us apart from the vast majority of people. We notice things and react through our writing. It is the essence of living life twice.

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  7. What a bountiful sensory harvest. Thanks for cataloging and sharing this morning.

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    1. Brian, I thank you for responding. It did indeed feel like I was harvesting those sensory details. It made me more conscious of being alive.

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  8. I visualize your walk. Your words nudge me "See he likes walking". I enjoy your words as they lead me to investigate your journey. Thank you for letting me tag along.

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    1. My absolute pleasure. Your response to my writing piece sustains me.

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