Today (I wrote this text on the 22nd of April 2025), I had a light walk. What does it mean?
It means I was walking without a heavy rucksack for the 2nd day in a row. To be more precise, I did not have a backpack. I made 10k steps, and I recalled the times before I started rucking (which happened in the middle of August 2024). The truth is that for many years (to be more precise, between October 2015 and August 2025), I have been walking and doing street photography with a light rucksack. Now, after almost nine months of rucking, I see my previous strolls as light wanderings. Does it mean I did not enjoy it? Contrary. I tremendously enjoy today’s light walk.
Still, I cannot wait for the lower part of my back to stop hurting me, and I will return to rucking as soon as the ache disappears.
In rucking, I trust. I have no doubts I will be doing rucking until the end of my life or until my health lets me do it (like for today, when I cannot carry a rucksack weighing 32 kg [71 lbs] due to health issues). Still, once I have breaks from rucking, like yesterday and today, I will cherish the simple possibility of the act of walking. I believe walking is one of the most underrated activities humans do.
For most of us, walking is as evident as the fact that the Sun is shining.
I know that I can stop walking due to health issues (I had some injuries that prevented me from walking twice for a couple of months; it happened in 2011 and 2015). That’s why I thoroughly enjoy each step I take, whether I’m carrying a heavy rucksack or not. Enjoy, my Dear Friend, the possibility of walking. Remember that tomorrow, you may simply not stand up. The loss of this simple act is a stark reality we often overlook.
