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totoropoko t1_j1lf5jb wrote

Charles Dickens was a huge fan of walking apparently. Used to walk to nearby towns as well which would take an entire day.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j1m50fk wrote

Everyone used to walk. That’s just how people got around

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totoropoko t1_j1mjwau wrote

The wheel was invented thousands of years ago. The aristocracy of England could have used carriages if they wanted to. Dickens enjoyed walking (not saying that was unique) as a pastime and would walk just to spend time.

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ItsPickles t1_j1mqjpe wrote

Yea that’s normal

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HammerandSickTatBro t1_j1n5evm wrote

Increasingly not, and especially not in all countries. Particularly not in most English-speaking countries

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hrgilbert t1_j1n9kc2 wrote

Less to do with the country than the place IMO. People in Manhattan walk a hell of a lot more than people in Los Angeles, for example.

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cydril t1_j1ms6n2 wrote

I mean sort of. People would walk a couple of miles without any problems. But by Victorian times, walking an entire day would be considered below most middle class people, who would have horses and carriages at their disposal.

There's a couple parts in Price and Prejudice where people make fun of Lizzie for going on super long walks.

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merryman1 t1_j1nwczt wrote

Its why bicycles were such a hit as well. Suddenly there was a new tech that allowed you to get around quicker than just your own two feet, without all the expense of having to have/hire horses and staff to handle it all.

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PuckSR t1_j1oskbh wrote

The Victorians actually became huge proponents of what we would consider hiking today.

They were big on walking for health

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HPmoni t1_j1nniqz wrote

Jogging is a new sport. Before sneakers, running and walking was even more unpleasant.

Walking 15 miles in a day is too much damn walking in any era.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j1nzacl wrote

Lmao. Most people used to walk barefoot. Walking barefoot is comfortable for super long distances if you do it regularly. Maybe not on concrete, but that wasn’t a problem for most of human history

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dethb0y t1_j1lj2y0 wrote

Walking is a really great way to get into your own head and think. I walk about 10,000 steps a day and that's the time i spend problem-solving.

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OldMork t1_j1lqltl wrote

same, I have a step counter, and my iphone also register steps? I have counts of 12000 on just normal days, I can probably walk forever.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j1m5b4q wrote

Trust me, you can’t. I average over 20k steps when it’s nice out. I’ve done 20 miles. It’s quite a bit of you haven’t worked up to it.

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Megadoom t1_j1mx38e wrote

Are you gatekeeping walking? I mean, how tedious and miserly a soul must you be to have seen that comment and gone, yeah brain, I’m gonna show this guy the error of his ways. LIAR. How dare he make false walking claims.

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Occulatica t1_j1ohy1v wrote

I mean, they think poop is sunny, so... probably a contrarian.

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Ok_Kale_2509 t1_j1mcdrn wrote

I used to love walking. Me and my friends would walk to the nearest mall a few times a month. One way it was about 13 miles or about 19,000 steps. Then I worked at Target and had to about 25,000-40,000 steps a shift. One shift I worked nearly 23 hours and walked 82,000 steps. Now I kinda hate walking sadly.

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Autumnlove92 t1_j1m9jxj wrote

Okay but what's a great solution to get OUT of your own head? Sometimes I get so deep in my head I get trapped in a negative cycle and lose the weight of reality in the process. Can't seem to find a good way to snap outta it

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mistermelvinheimer t1_j1n0q07 wrote

I know this is a boring answer but go to the gym. You can’t think about other stuff while working out. If you have self esteem problems it helps with that too.

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Autumnlove92 t1_j1n3b1o wrote

Believe it or not, I advocate this. My depression got far worse this year when I stopped my workouts. I used to go heavy at the gym (and lost 115lbs) but the loose skin in my stomach made it nearly impossible to continue, and at that same time I picked up a second job that took my energy from me. I just got an abdominalplasty to remove that loose skin and I'm very eager to get back to the gym. It'll still be a couple months before I can, but I know for a fact exercise -- while not a total cure -- DOES help. Maybe it's just 5%, but it's something.

Also sunshine. God, I'm already itching for winter to be over....and it's just started

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mistermelvinheimer t1_j1n88iu wrote

Holy shit thats incredible, great job, yeah when it’s safe to work out again you should do it. I live in sweden so i know all about how dark and depressing winters get. We get maybe three hours of sunlight around midday then its back to darkness…

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Casparan t1_j1mbzcx wrote

You could try some mindfulness exercises. They helped me with the same kind of negative circular thinking you seem to have some problems with.

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Real-Werner-Herzog t1_j1mcmup wrote

I'd talk to a mental health professional tbh since that could be a sign of an anxiety disorder, I used to have awful intrusive thoughts and talk therapy went a long way in helping me not lose that grip on reality when things got bad.

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amadeus2490 t1_j1n3r69 wrote

Controversial view: A major reason so many people have anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc. anymore is because the vast majority of us spend too much time inside. We simply aren't exercising our muscles and walking, or stimulating our brains enough. We weren't meant to live this way.

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Incognit0ne t1_j1np7it wrote

This. I don’t walk anywhere and I’m so confused

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merryman1 t1_j1nwixu wrote

Its also a great way of getting to know an area quite well. Especially if you're just generally walking around and not just hiking from point A to point B. Always make it a priority when I move to a new area to spend a few weeks doing 4 or 5 mile trails around the area just to see what shops are around and what different parts of the town are like. UK though, I imagine its a nightmare in the US with how your pedestrian infrastructure is.

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bluebackpackedbear t1_j1p31xt wrote

I bartend and I live about a mile from where I work. I walk to and from work almost every day. I always tell people that on the walk to work I get myself in the right mindset for a busy shift, and on the walk home I use the time to decompress. Plus it helps me stay in shape.

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Hughjarse t1_j1lckpt wrote

Walking for 5 to 7 hours give or take is a hell of a slog, for real. I feel tired just thinking about it and for context I walk 6.5 KMs a day.

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mrnoonan81 t1_j1obhtd wrote

I'm regretting having to walk down the stairs tomorrow morning.

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slappymcstevenson t1_j1li1m8 wrote

One of my favorite stories to read. Haunting and beautiful. A true look in to a persons soul and the true meaning of life. Even though it’s a holiday classic, I still feel it’s overlooked by most of the world.

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iamthedialectic t1_j1le58t wrote

It's fascinating how the writing process at the apps to everybody's individual psychology/neurology. A writer like Stephen King has a huge "mind palace", and writes from his office in Maine like a machine. Sorkin has conversations out loud with himself even when driving. Dickens walks around grounding story in place and time. Anne Frank masturbated and hid. As with any art, everyone has a different method.

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AnthillOmbudsman t1_j1n3rcz wrote

Multiple nighttime walks over 15 miles in 1840s London... how did this guy not get mugged every night?

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decadentbeaver t1_j1lh4nb wrote

I walk around 8 miles a day at my job. I also like to wrote a lot, and this helps me no end when it comes to planning my stories out. But I wouldn't want to do that around London these days.

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PanacheCuPunga t1_j1lqimp wrote

I've never had an issue walking around zone 1, from Isle of Dogs to Hampton Court Palace around the Thames, and up to Hampstead Heath, and I've probably done a million steps within these bounds over the years. But, I am a guy and I can't also say I've been much more south than Vauxhall or more north-east than Whitechapel, so I guess mileage may vary.

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Awellplanned t1_j1lqktw wrote

I walked 8 miles on average in a ten hour shift working at a big chain liquor store during the pandemic. Filling online orders then bringing them to people’s trunks.

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nelsnose t1_j1lr9jw wrote

How is your book coming along?

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Awellplanned t1_j1m592w wrote

There was no though during those hours. Just weed pen rips and the repeating thought “ I am an organic robot hired to complete a task.” I used that mantra when I started to crack or think about how I could change things in the store.

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redcrest27 t1_j1m6tkg wrote

Lmao I’ve had this thought while making a hundred mimosas during bartending a brunch shift

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Smileyrielly12 t1_j1m4w4e wrote

Walking around London is fun. He must have gotten some good ideas along the way. 6 weeks to write a book is blazing speed.

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FellaVentura t1_j1m4k3o wrote

This sounds very close to Maladaptive Daydreaming. There was a time I had to spend a few minutes on a treadmill for health reasons and my mind just wandered off. Then I started building stories inspired by something I used to play with. Later on, I'd be waiting for my ride home and taking the opportunity to pass the time writing a few chapters based on what I daydreamed. Created a whole universe in those months, sounds a bit goofy in retrospective but it was fun, I wish I had the time now to finish what I was writing.

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ryanhallows t1_j1mbyt1 wrote

There’s a free Tim Curry reading of “A Christmas Carol” (prose version) on Audible. It’s amazing!

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Chanandler_Bong_Jr t1_j1njuex wrote

“I’ve accidentally ran to Windsor”.

  • Charles “Super Hans” Dickens
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old_bearded_beats t1_j1m09gy wrote

Easy to end up walking this far in London. I will regularly hit 15k on a normal day hoofing about the place. 20 miles is quite a long walk though.

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NittyGrittyDiscutant t1_j1lzclx wrote

Steve Jobs was walking barefoot around neighborhood during discussions with some of his guests.

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AtheismTooStronk t1_j1m2wu8 wrote

Nice, I get about 20-25 miles a day at work. Much less scenic of a route, sadly.

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Greene_Mr t1_j1o29gm wrote

You know what? That makes sense. Sometimes, you need to get to different locations to put your head in a different mental space -- and that can help you come up with new ideas.

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jl_theprofessor t1_j1mukry wrote

Yup. When I’m thinking through plot lines I’ll put in my headphones and walk around museums.

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Far_Buddy8467 t1_j1n3q61 wrote

He had Chevro-legs, long lasting and dependable!

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noodle-face t1_j1oesi4 wrote

I used to do the walk for hunger in Boston - 20 miles. That is no small feat. That's like a 6 hour walk

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mystic_mycologist t1_j1phjot wrote

Also on the podcast: This Day In History With The Retrospectors

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daisy0723 t1_j1tcrj2 wrote

I wash dishes. I have come up with whole plots of stories doing this.

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zantosh t1_j1mh9fx wrote

15 - 20 miles will take many hours, all night perhaps, even at a brisk pace. It's unlikely he did this often. It just wouldn't make any sense.

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eduardog3000 t1_j1o76xz wrote

Average walking pace is ~3-4mph, so that’s about 5 hours. The sun sets around 6 in the winter, so he’s home by 11. That seems reasonable to me.

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zantosh t1_j1of04b wrote

So he doesn't stop to observe at all?

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