Can you believe how that word is spelled? Who the heck would know how to pronounce it, if it were the first time they had seen it? It should have been spelled, “Rithum”! Why don’t they come to me before they try to spell these words!
Rithum defined, “Movement, or sound marked by the regular recurrence or…”
I may have modified the definition somewhat to make it more relevant to my subject matter, do not look it up!
Why would I come up with a subject like this? It has to do with my morning strolls. Not that anyone actually cares that I walk for 30 minutes at least 5 days per week, or that I have written about my meditative walking several times. This has little to do with meditation and more to do with rhythm. Now is a good time to stop reading this posting and go do something interesting!
I walk with a walking stick (aka cane) not for stability, but to have something in my hand, and I usually carry the same one during my strolls down the avenue, although I have several canes / walking sticks, some that I have made, and some that were purchased.
The other morning as I walked at my normal quick pace, which is very fast for a senior citizen, with my walking stick in my right hand, it became apparent that the stick tapped the street every other time my right foot impacted the street. Now that I am aware that the right foot and walking stick impacted the street at the same time, I began thinking about the rithum.
I harkened back to basic training (could it have been 50 years ago, can I be that old) and all the marching, also known as, “Dismounted drill”, we had to do. Marching has a rithum of, “1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4” and I am somewhat experiencing that rithum now.
I moved the walking stick into my left hand and continued walking. Strangely enough, the walking stick began impacting the street at the same time my left foot impacted. Why did it change when I changed hands? I did not do this knowingly!
Walking stick in my right hand, I decided to make the stick impact the street when my left foot impacted. That is just the opposite of what I had been doing spontaneously. Being such a focused person, I was able to cause the left foot to impact the street while the walking stick was in my right hand. That worked for about three steps then I unwillingly reverted to spontaneous right hand and right foot.
I told you to stop reading this earlier, you should have listened.
Below, I have placed a less than professional photo of a Red Oak tree located in front of the Ford Homestead. The less than professional photo, was taken by the Ford Homestead photographer. He will receive a written warning for this less than professional work!
The photo was supposed to show you that some leaves had begun to change in color. Possibly you can still see the beginning of the leaf change at the Homestead. Get the leaf rake ready!
May you have a Rithumic day!
Don Ford
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