By Norman Cain, March 4, 2021 — I love walking, [which is] an endeavor that I enjoyed and perfected during the various stages of my life. As a child growing up in West Philadelphia not too far from Fairmount Park, my friends and I were constantly hiking through the interior of what has been known as the largest landscaped park in the world. When I last checked, France has the largest park in the world and Philadelphia has the second-largest park.
When I went to South Carolina each summer, I constantly walked mile upon mile to fields, to town, and to play with friends. While as a student at Bluefield State College in West Virginia I had to tediously walk to various locations throughout the mountainous terrain. And then there was the Army, each day our feet and resolve were tested as we balanced heavy backpacks on our backs and almost equally burdened rifles on our shoulders, as we trekked insurmountable and endless miles during our 2-month basic training period.
Walking had become second nature with me. In fact, my peers, especially during my senior year, marveled at my love for hiking the Wissahickon trail and being able to walk great distances throughout the city. While my walking for sheer pleasure, that beloved hobby of mine, had dwindled during my senior years, I still was quite active in that activity.
In order to maintain my schedule at the 6 Senior Centers that I faithfully attended before the pandemic, I had to walk on average 12 blocks a day to unite with public transportation. During the year-long shutdown caused by the pandemic, I of course was not walking, but rather sitting down all day. Non-activity caused my knees to tighten. The few times I would go out each week caused a chore. I had to find somewhere to sit after I would walk a block.
There are 2 incidents that occurred when I had to walk because of business. The first occurred when I had an 11:45 Covid injection appointment at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, 39th, and Woodland Avenue. When I debarked from the trolley at 40th and Woodland, I had to walk an extremely long block to 39th and Woodland, make a southward turn, and walk another long block to the entrance to the hospital.
When I arrived, I was told that the entrance was closed and that I would have to enter at another locality, which was located another long block away. Once inside the hospital, I had a long walk to the injection area where I had to do some extensive standing. After my injection, I had to repeat the same laborious procedure.
The second incident concerning long tedious walks occurred recently. I went to Columbia Commons by way of the 79 bus, whose route is Snyder Avenue, to get a headset at Best Buy. Columbia Commons is right by the Delaware River and I had no idea about where Best Buy was and that gigantic shopping mall. I first walked 2 and a half blocks in the wrong direction, then 4 blocks before I reached my destination. Then there was the return trip to catch the bus to take me home.
The hospital and Best Buy trips taxed my knees, but those hardships paid off. When they open up the city again, I will be able to get some but not all of the kinks out of my knees. I will continue my beloved walking with care.