9 Mile Journey

Last summer I got the wild idea that I wanted to walk a nine mile stretch of scenic lakeshore road, segment by segment, between my parents' house (my childhood home) and the cemetery where my grandparents and favorite great-aunt are buried. In July it was too hot to start, so I thought I would wait until fall. Fall came along with cooler weather, but I was also doing a lot of traveling, so the nine mile walk never began.

Maybe it's the spot that I am at in my life that has me yearning to revisit childhood places. My child raising days are behind me, my parents are aging but still healthy, and I am well settled into our thirty year marriage. Or maybe it's the natural progression in the four year, self-discovery journey that I have been on.

Some ideas seem good but then quickly fade if not acted upon immediately, but the need to do this walk has only grown stronger. So now, almost a year later, I am beginning. I still plan on doing it in segments, parking my car, walking a mile or two, and then walking back to my car. In the end I will have doubled my nine mile walk.

So much of my history is located along this road, favorite parks, including the one where I love to do self-portrait photography. There is the former house of friends of my parents, many Sunday mornings after church we would go there for coffee or tea in delicate china cups, and nibble on sugar cookies. This house had unique nooks and crannies, being built by the owner, that I loved to explore while the adults chatted in the kitchen. I think this is where my love of buildings began.

I have ridden along this stretch of road hundreds of times, but I have never walked more than this bridge section. There is something about walking that forces you to slow down and truly see what is around you. I am excited to see what memories this nine mile journey uncovers. I am hopeful to complete it by October. If I get it done sooner, maybe I can find another memory lane to travel down.