'Have You Ever Thought ...?? Legs!'

"Have You Ever Thought .... ?? Legs!

It is amazing that we can walk without thinking about the action of our legs. The attempts to get robots to walk demonstrate that a process we take for granted is in fact extremely complex.

As children we learn to walk by crashing about but soon our inner autopilot becomes programmed, we stop toddling and start walking and from then on all becomes smooth and we hardly need to think about walking, climbing steps, running or jumping for the best part of 80 years (if we are lucky).

Eventually the old conundrum of what walks on four legs, then two, then three becomes reality and a walking stick becomes necessary; balance and co-ordination seem to decline. Wondering why? got me thinking.

I am aware that my legs have become shorter. What used to be a 31 inch inside leg is now 29 inches or a bit less; however, the bits that make my legs work have possibly not shrunk to the same extent. The bungee cords, the hydraulics and the electric circuits that make my legs work are still set as they have always been. It is not surprising that my walking movement has some 'looseness'; feet do not quite meet the ground at the right angle, steering can be a bit slack, and progress can at times be a bit wobbly.

How to avoid things getting worse? In the absence of a good mechanic to carry out all the adjustments needed, I guess we must hope that, like a self-adjusting handbrake on a car, continued operation might eventually reset everything. Exercise must be the answer but for someone who has never jogged or been on a bicycle for 60-years, I have to keep walking even if I must use a stick, traffic stops to let one cross the road (usually)."

The above words are by 'Old Geezer'

I do not know 'Old Geezer' personally but reading his words in a friends magazine I found myself nodding ... I do find myself shorter than I used to be, find myself taking extra care while out walking ... as we age we need to be sensible.

Concentrate on what we can do, don't keep worrying or fretting about what we can't do... and make the most of every moment! With the start of Autumn, I hope to be out and about enjoying cooler days and beautiful Autumn colours.

Thanks for reading, and do please share your thoughts in the comments section.

All the best Jan