The Bent Oak ImageBy
Rebekah McReynolds
“……Here we are with live coverage of the newest extreme sport: morning walking.
Today’s competition is in Bent Oak and the course conditions couldn't be more perfect. The neighborhood has wonderful families with children, pets, and cars. Last night’s shower has left wet, heavy landscape plants and perfectly slick sidewalks. The competitors are warming up now. Most are dressed in conventional walking attire: shorts, t-shirts, walking shoes. Several are sporting headphones and dark glasses. There are some team and some solo entrants. Let’s review the rules and procedures. Walkers are to walk the entire neighborhood, staying on the sidewalks. Penalties result from leaving the sidewalk, falling, cussing, or giving up prior to the finish line.
“……And the starter gives the signal to begin. Our first leader looks to be a young woman pushing a baby carriage. Oops! She just hit the toys left in the sidewalk by children playing last night. Dodging that skateboard sure did make the carriage rock precariously. Gaining quickly on her is a man wearing headphones deep into his thoughts. Look out! He was watching the dog chase the cat and he didn’t see the car parked in that driveway extending over the sidewalk until he bumped right into it. Looks like he may be out of the walking. This lady looks like a real competitor…no headphones; dark glasses so that she can look straight ahead. What lousy luck! She just got caught up in that shrub growing out over the walk and now she’s becoming tangled in the grass runners growing over the pavement. This caused her to look down and she was unaware of the low hanging tree branch, made even heavier by the recent rain, until it hit her in the head. Really can’t blame her for cussing like that, but the penalties are mounting. The pack is thinning with only a few serious contenders. Oh no! What a pile-up! Careful as they were rounding that curve, one by one they have hit those slick algae-covered sidewalks and they are sliding and falling. As the paramedics rush onto the course, the remaining contestants are simply giving up and returning to their homes. I see treadmills being delivered to several houses. Wait…there is one more contestant. He (or she—it’s hard to tell) is wearing a fully padded, water proof body suit, crash helmet, safety goggles, and has been carefully testing each sidewalk and using a pressure washer when necessary before proceeding I think this contestant will finish the course! What a champion!
Sadly, the above scenario is all too real. We are fortunate to have sidewalks throughout our neighborhood. Each homeowner is responsible for the walkway between his property lines. Please check your sidewalks and driveways today. Almost every sidewalk with overhanging trees will haveheavy algae growth. Furthermore, many of these trees have very low-hanging limbs that need trimming. Growth of landscape plants and weeds has outpaced the most avid gardeners. Please do not wait for someone to fall in front of your home. Walking our quiet neighborhood is one of the greatest pleasures of living in Bent Oak. Let’s all do our part for safety.
