4. Feelings Matter
For a music buff listening to music at every opportunity, especially when I walk, I did not listen to music during the four-day walkathon. Uneven pavements, frequent need to step on and off it, and haphazard traffic meant that I needed my full concentration to walk unhurt. Traffic flowing on both sides, especially the wrong side was quite troubling. Generalizing at the cost of ignoring exceptions, our experience was bigger the vehicle, less considerate were they of pedestrians. Keeping off music had its own benefits for I had time to be aware of my feelings.
Starting the day in cool air before dawn was fun, but soon confronted with the hot sun, bad roads, often stinking gutters and garbage bins I cursed myself for taking on this foolish adventure before quickly looking at the joy of accomplishing one of my cherished goals. The kind and considerate people we came across was refreshing and more than compensating. Some waved to us, children on vehicles smiled and cheered us, older people offered words of caution, and a couple of them offered fruits.
From the second day, to keep my mind engaged I choose a topic to dwell on. I was not able to sustain on the idea for more than a couple of hours. But I think I have identified a couple of flaws in me and have plans to correct it soon. As the saying goes, the taste of pudding is in its eating. Let me know if you see me change for the better.
As we boarded the 2nd AC compartment for our return to Bangalore, the feeling was one of sustained joy. They say the enduring quality of an accomplishment is not in its magnitude but in the effort invested. I think this walkathon is among a handful of my memorable successes, ranking along with my qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, quitting smoking, and publishing my first book. As we neared Bangalore, I was looking forward to the next challenge. Some ideas in nascent stage, will flesh it out. Any suggestions from you welcome.
2 comments On Sept24 Blore Mysore Walkathon Blog-4
I completed my solo walk from Bangalore to Mysore in the last week of December 2024. Before doing this walk, I could not find any content on the internet about walking this path. Stumbled on it now! However, I had looked at many long distance walk vlogs from the west and had prepared for this long distance walk.
Unlike you, during my walk, I did not talk to anyone on my path and did not inform anyone on my path about my journey (scared of humans than animals!). I kept on walking all by myself and spending time with me and myself. It was a rewarding experience for me.
You are right on the trash. The entire path is filled with trash. Near the tea stalls, between villages.. huge trash dumps. No one would clear it. Swaccha bharatha is an illusion and will remain as an illusion.
After reaching Mysore, I came back to Bangalore by KSRTC bus. I had a weird feeling of sadness to see the path I walked 3.5 days was just getting covered in less than 2 hours!! And, the bus ride back to Bangalore after an excruciating successive days of walk felt like a Business class flight journey!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Our return journey by train was enjoyable as we were lucky to have youngsters for company and shared our live experiences.
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