Day 25. Muscle.

You know how "they" say that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile?
"They" might also suggest that it takes more muscles to walk slow than fast.
OK, "they" didn't say that, but that's what I've learned by slowing down.
I'm a fast walker by nature.
I can cover some serious ground whether I'm house-cleaning, grocery-shopping, mall-hopping.
Or just walking.
The dog hates my speed.
And I don't just walk fast, but I train to go faster.
5Ks, 10Ks, 1/2 marathons, etc ...
All my training plans are tailored to increase speed.  Increase pace.  Score new personal bests. God (and my training partner) knows I DON'T always do that.
I'm not competitive by nature, but why not challenge oneself.  Reach higher.  Jump farther.  And all that.  That they say.
No matter what they say, takes guts to slow down.
Slow down so she can get a decent sniff or potty break along the route.
So children can set the pace.
So aging parents can amble comfortably and not self-consciously.
So there's time to smile and converse.
So others can catch up.
So we can complete this journey together.
As others have waited for ME, I've found it takes a better trained person to walk slowly.
And I suppose the same could be said for doing just about anything more slowly.  More thoughtfully.
Taking into account a person's (or a Beagle's) fatigue, youth, inexperience, struggle, age or strength.
The trade-off is shared time, shared conversation, shared smiles, shared experience ... laughter, success and the like.
Or so they say.

(I'm 40+ in FIVE DAYS!  I'm back to regular blogging habits ... like what I'm cooking for dinner.  And how much dog hair I've cleaned out of the dryer lint filter.  And how The Short One tried to use a compact mirror today to study a bloody scratch juuuust under his chin and all but stood on his head to get a view of it.  That was some funny "The Short One" aerobics.  Or how The Big One wants to sell at least 15 items in a school fundraiser so he can score two rubber ducks attached to a lanyard to wear around his neck.  And he won't wear a WATCH to school?  Because it's "embarrassing!")