I Go Through a Lot of Shoes

I'm winding down the last few hours of a four-day weekend. I visited with family and friends a bit during my time off. Which was nice. I spent nearly all of my remaining free time walking around the city for miles and hours on end, all by myself, taking hundreds of photographs—this is my raison d'être. Probably. My grasp of the French language is far too uncertain to be sure.

I suppose it might be better to have company on these photo outings of mine, but I haven't yet met anyone who seems remotely interested in hiking through the crowded streets and sketchy alleys of Philadelphia for four to eight hours at a go. It's a large investment of time and energy. And I burn through a pair of sneakers every two or three months, so there are some considerable footware expenses as well. For me, it is like an obsessive-compulsive Zen meditation. I can't not do it. Unfortunately, I almost absolutely have to cut back.

I've been going on these photo walks every weekend for at least a couple of years. I often take shorter ones on the weekdays too. These workday walks typically only last an hour or two, which is technically still a long walk. My walks have been growing more frequent and increasingly longer over time. As a result, I'm not getting quite as much done in my personal life as I feel I ought to be. You know, stuff like paperwork and remembering to pay bills on time. And it may not be all that uncommon that I occasionally forget to eat dinner a few nights in a row.

I should also socialize more. Probably. I'm not sold on that idea yet. It's difficult to prioritize socializing when you enjoy being alone. I'm not going to go on one of those self-indulgent understanding your introvert type rants here. I don't believe I'm introverted. I don't mind being around people and socializing. Heaven knows I'll talk your ear off if you give me even a quarter of half a chance. But there's something really nice and enjoyable for me about solitude. I also cherish not having to negotiate and vote on trivial matters such as, "Should we turn left or right?" My vote is always for whichever direction has the best light.

Always.

Well, I guess, unless, maybe, I really have to pee. And even then, only maybe.