I have one of the step logger aka pedometers set up on my cellphone, so even as I wander around my house, most steps are logged, which gives me an idea of how much or how little I actually walk. Most people aim for 10,000 steps a day, and I was sure that I'd do that, too, but I discovered that unless I am really walking someplace, I barely pass the 5,000 mark. Considering that I do walk a bit, and we don't have a car, it does show how little some/most people walk.
Yesterday I was home, which considering that there are so many things I never have time for, and I'm on antibiotics recovering from an abscess by the root of a tooth and the subsequent root canal, this "day off" is nice.
I decided it would be the perfect day for local errands, here in Shiloh. One thing that had to be done was to go to the office and pay for our pool membership. The pool is opening on Friday, G-d willing, and the only way that my husband and I will use it
From what I had read, I understood that I needed to get to the office to sign up. So I hiked down the hill, about a mile or more, to the office. But when I got there and spoke to the secretary I discovered that she didn't handle registration. The pool office is near the pool.
But I told her that it was fine. I did need the walk, at least the walk down. The only snag was walking up, so I decided to walk part way. I stopped at the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel Junction and after a few minutes I got a ride to "midtown," which was perfect since I needed to buy milk. And the driver needed directions to find a house to pay a
shiva/condolence call. So, we helped each-other.
After shopping, I waited with another neighbor for a ride up to our neighborhood, since walking and schlepping aren't the same. Neither of us could carry what we had bought. After a few minutes another car stopped, and it ended up that that driver, also, needed directions to the same house. Since the car was facing our neighborhood and he'd need to turn, which shouldn't be on a steep hill, he was happy to take us up in exchange for directions.
I thanked both the drivers with the blessing
tizkeh limitzvot, may you merit more mitzvot, which was really what had happened.
And later in the day, I took another walk, but a simple one around the neighborhood. Those two walks plus whatever I did at home, and I easily passed my 5,000 steps. G-d willing I'll manage more today.
Those step meters don't take into account inclines and declines and heavy packages.
