This week has been the hottest all summer. Walking is not practical during my lunch. No one wants to work with a sweaty, smelly secretary! As an alternative I walked and shopped through Western New York’s largest mall. The Walden Galleria – Air conditioned and entertaining.
My father is a retired carpenter. I use the term retired very loosely as he just finished remodeling my kitchen. When I was a teenager my father helped to build the Walden Galleria. In fact, he helped to build many of the largest and well-known buildings in Buffalo.
He told me of building the frame for the central curved stairway.
His big brown eyes widened when telling me how the floor would crack in a few years because they didn’t put the tiles in correctly. The floor was replaced in many places! I still remember his thick Italian accent saying “Sonofapup – I told them!” My dad makes me proud.
Remembering the conversations we had about the construction of this mammoth shopping mall, I walked along the second floor peering below at the planters, benches and shoppers. 
My eyes squinted as I looked up in marvel at the glass roof, easily hearing the take off of an airplane from the nearby airport over the din of the mall. I breathed deeply feeling my chest expand and quickened my pace. I had set my pace and planned to walk a mile in the mall. To be honest, it was distracting to walk in the mall. There were colorful windows advertising the newest styles and gift shops full of items waiting to be discovered and taken home.
My feet were a little achy from pounding the concrete floor and I decided to treat myself to a pedicure. I need to take care of my feet since I plan to abuse them in four years, so I offered them a little pampering. This was only a temporary break in my stride as immediately after my pedicure I had to walk all the way back to entrance that I started from. My feet squeaked against my plastic sandals I wore. My pace slowed as I realized the lotion on my feet were causing my sandals to slide around my feet uncomfortably.
All in all, this was one of my easier walks; very relaxed and not fast at all. It felt good to be among people and be a silent witness to their shopping day. I was very amused by children begging their parents for a video game, intrigued by a an argument that I couldn’t quite hear between a young lady and a young man, and a I felt little envious when I watched a group of women laughing, talking and sharing opinions as I walked by them. I have friends, but for some reason I do a lot of things by myself.
Checking my pace (minus the 30 minute pedicure) I walked a little over a mile in the mall. There are mall walkers that walk the mall at 7 am everyday. Maybe over the winter months I will try it one or two days a week. For now, I think I will stick to walking in the outdoors. Where I can feel the sun’s rays on me, the wind making my hair a mess and my eyes can land on the beautiful colors of nature.
trailchaser2020 