Gandhi Worldwalk Part 3a

Gandhi Worldwalk is not dead - it's just been delayed.

Starting out from the Guildwood GO station.

Until today (Nov. 20, 2014) the walk consisted of two parts: in 1987 I walked from my home in Clearwater, BC to the north shore of Lake Superior; and in 1989 I walked from where I had left off in 1987 to Toronto.

Today I walked from where I left off in 1989 – the Guildwood GO light rail station just east of Toronto – to the next GO station at Rouge Hill. The distance was only about eight km and, with detours and photo stops, took just under two hours. 

The walk ended in 1989 when I developed plantar fasciitis in my left foot - a tear in the ligament that runs under my arch. The foot still bothers me and I usually wear a night splint (if I don't, after about a week my foot feels as if it's ready to fall apart).

I do a fair amount of walking around Clearwater but it's nearly always on trails - walking on pavement bothers my foot. Today's walk was almost all on pavement and, by the end, I could feel that I had done enough for one day.

One thing I learned on the walk was the importance of giving yourself time to heal if injured or sick. Resting is part of the journey too and, if you don't give yourself enough time to recover, you will accomplish less in the end.

I knew when my walk ended in 1989 that I would return and do some more. Today I did just that. I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment, even though the distance covered today was trivial. To me, it's the coming back and trying again that is important.

Tomorrow I will take the train to Ottawa to participate in a weekend conference being put on by the Canadian branch of Citizen Climate Lobby. About 70 people have signed up. After some orientation we will fan out and speak to as many M.P.s and senators as will listen about the importance of implementing a carbon fee-and-dividend system as a first step towards controlling global warming.

It's all part of the same journey.

Finishing up at the Rouge Hill GO station.