I have spent the majority of today walking.

I dropped my car off at the local mechanic shop (referred by our day care person) and walked home. Only a mile, not all that bad. The heat? That sucked, but it was far cooler than it has been.

I learned today that walking clears my head. It also makes me think about things I haven't really thought of in a while.

For instance:

I thought about how I used to walk everywhere as a kid. We lived a mile out-of-town, so I'd walk down our hill, turn a corner, and walk the flattest half mile on God's creation. Before hitting the oil road, I'd pass my cousin's house. Most times, I'd be walking to their house to play. They had great big trees (rare for where we lived, believe me). We had made 'houses' throughout the trees and would spend hours outside bossing our little siblings around. My youngest cousin was getting tired of us bossing her around in 'our house', so she took a crap in the middle of our 'living room'. We vacated the house after that.

I then thought about the old red shed that used to be next to quanset, and how we were never supposed to go over there. Hitchhikers would often try and sleep in that building, and our parents were cautious about the folks staying over. My dad would usually end up taking them a sandwich, but sending them on their way.

And then the drain that ran under the frontage road (that ran right next to my aunt's house). We were NEVER allowed to go under there - ever. But being the obedient children we were, we went anyway. I remember seeing some really rudamentary drawings of a vagina done by a classmate of mine. He had even signed his name and given it a title: "ClassmateofHDW's has a stinky pussy". We were in the 8th grade.

I remembered my many encounters with bull snakes and rattlesnakes. I remember walking another mile (in the other direction) to our mailbox, waiting for the mailman to come by, sitting on the edge of the tire holding up the mailbox with my dog, Jasper.

I thought about that simpler time that really wasn't that much simpler, I guess. My cousin was about to find out her parents were divorcing. Friends were fickle in Junior High and would switch alliances over night. I thought about what you learn then as a kid and how those lessons translate to now. Friends are still fickle. People will hurt you. Life goes on.

When I moved to Denver, I wanted to be anonymous. I had spent my birth to 18 in a town with less than 400 people. I wanted to come to the city and get lost in the shuffle. What I discovered, though, was that I'm still small town. I still manage to stumble across the small town in the big city.

Like this mechanic's shop. They didn't overcharge. They take good care of you and hope you pass them on for a referral. They leave you the little sticker in your window to remind you about the oil change and tell you to have a nice day. And mean it, too.

I walked about two miles today. And I think - after having a pretty peaceful time and all my thoughts to myself - that I should go for a few more ....