Risk and Danger in the Walk

Today I went for a walk. I didnt walk on the path. I had no traceable route. I just walked. I didnt have my phone. I didnt even walk beside the path. I made my own. At one point I walked straight through a baseball field. I even crossed the street not at a crosswalk. Scandalous. I know.

This may not seem like a big deal. But for me, it was. For many reasons:

1. I was walking. Which, if you think about it, is a form of exercise. Which I don't usually do. But it is the 2nd time this week. Maybe we are on to something here...

2.) I went off the path. I have firmly held for a long time that paths are made for a reason. The distance is measured, so even if I dont know how far I walked who ever built the sidewalk would know. They would have it all measured and direct. But walking on my own path there was no distance measured. I could have walked 5 miles. Or maybe 1/4 mile. Who knows?! This is frightening and it happened.

C. No traceable route. I could have been murdered. I had no route. I didnt tell anyone I was going. I didnt take my phone. I was free from it all. Just me. (And the key to my apartment tied to my shirt, securely hidden.- well Im not a idiot!) More than a few times did the thought cross my mind that I could be kidnapped. But that was all part of the excitement.

d- I walked across a baseball field. This has always been a big no no. walk around, not through as to not mess up the field. I have respect for a good baseball field. Mind you the one I walked through wasn't nice, but conceptually it was wrong.

5. Jay walking?! Isn't that against the law? need I say more?

I have known for a long time now that I am, in fact, a little bit of a control freak. I rarely ride in the passenger seat, as I like to drive. I follow the rules, I'm hardly even ever rude to people. And if I think I am I apologize before they even know I was rude. I calculate risk in everything I do. I don't dream to big unless I put the dream in a realistic time frame from the start. I may be planning a big nice vacation, but I know it wont happen until 2016- if we save on schedule.

I make lists in my sleep. For everything. To be organized. And it still bothering me that I tried to go against myself and number the list above funky. I don't like it. But now I wrote about it, so I'll keep it. It now has a reason for being that way.

I met someone a while back. And the more I get to know this person, the more I realize how different we are. A recent conversation went like this:

friend "Hey. What are you up to today?"
Me "Oh, not much. Grocery shopping. Home. Dinner. What are you up to?"
friend "Not sure. Im thinking I'll go see a friend. Maybe get a tatoo. We'll see."
Me "A tatoo? Really? How fun! Of what? Where?"
friend "Not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but we'll see."

ok. wait.

Did you catch that? Maybe get a tatoo. Not sure of what. or where?! I have been thinking about getting a tatoo for over 10 years now and havent... for many reasons. (I can provide a list of reasons if you'd like.)

And this friend is just gunna go. Just waltz into a parlor close their eyes point to a body part and say what they'd like a tatoo of. (ok, maybe that was a bit dramatic.)

But it got me to thinking. I would really like to be more sporadic. More of a jumper than a calculated risk taker.

So today I did. I went for a walk. Craziness ensued.