Do I walk too fast?

Okay, here's where this is coming from. I am a fast walker. I walk With Purpose. I am On A Mission. I am the woman whose quiet and impatient sigh you hear as you and your jogging partner are do-dicking around and taking up the whole sidewalk in front of me. I could win an Ultimate Fastwalking Championship, if it came down to that. And today, it occurred to me that this might be a serious impediment to my new hobby.

You see, over the weekend, in a burst of tax-refund-fueled impulse, I ordered myself my first real, grownup camera. And I am so excited! So excited, in fact, that I even signed up for an e-course that I'm hoping will (1) give me some instruction in this extremely new-to-me art form, and (2) keep me motivated through that tough stage of a new hobby, where you're inevitably a bit disappointed that your very first efforts aren't in any way comparable to those of the professionals in the field (surprise!).

There's a third part that piqued my interest in this class, though, and here's where my speed-walking comes in. Here's what Tracey highlighted as her intention for the course: 'The goal with Picture Spring however, is to not only prompt you into taking a photo each day, it's to help elevate that click into a mindful meditation, an act of gratitude, a narrative of your heart.' Um, not entirely sure what that's going to entail, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to stop walking so stinkin' fast. I have the feeling this is going to be kind of an uncomfortable space for me, at least at first. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am mindful when I'm walking around the neighborhood. I'm taking in the houses (the houses, I love the houses in my neighborhood), looking for the first shoots of flowers coming up, trying to greet passers-by (oh, that's a whole other story, for a different day). But stopping? And really looking?

Hm. I suppose this might be why I was drawn to the camera in the first place.