walking

you always hear people talk about their walk with God or walking with other christians, but so many times i think that we use that as one of our ready made church phrases that we can use, but have never taken the time to understand. i was walking to class today with a friend and i started to think about what it means to walk with someone. 

when you walk beside someone, it isn't just something that happens. there are so many little things to think about. you have to set a pace, one that you both are comfortable with. and you must agree on a destination, otherwise you either run into each other or begin to walk away. sometimes you only walk part of the way with someone, and then your paths split. does one person slow down so that the other can cross and front and go on their way, or does the person cross behind their companion? when you come to a door, does one person hold the door open for the other, or do they walk through themselves and pause to make sure the other has the door? 

then there are those funny situations that occur when people you don't know are walking around you. have you ever gotten stuck behind a slow walker when you have somewhere to be? it is one of the most frustrating things. today, a girl very slowly started walking in front of my friend and me, reading a newspaper as she walked. we had no way around her, and she was oblivious to the fact that we were there. 

walking with people is an experience. my mother always told me to walk with a purpose, to know where you are going and get yourself there. but then, sometimes the best experiences come from when you get lost or are just having fun. sometimes you need to have an adventure, and go on a walk with no planned destination to see where you end up. 

walking with someone implies a relationship. it is dynamic, always changing. it is an experience. often times, walking with someone makes you more conscious of them, and what they want.