Gump

Forrest Gump was always in the headlines without understanding their significance. He walked too, all the way across the States; he just kept walking. People walked with him. There is something about walking which grabs people's imagination. I announced it in church today, "I shall be walking to the sacred turf of Carrow Road." People laughed. I felt it was the laugh of support. A good sport offered to walk with me. Will there be others? Is this the beginning of a Gump walk? Will I grow a beard and speak wisdom en route? Will this wisdom become a bumper sticker?

Already I can see the walk is life changing. It means practice, training and planning. It needs time, other things have to make way, work has to stop. The Bishop of Reading tried to give busy commuters an egg timer at the local railway station to get them to stop for a minute a day. Walking practice will take more than a minute a day. As a vicar I should know the value of space, time off, exercise and sharing the joy of it with others. But not wanting to stop work in case the world stops spinning is a disease I know all about. So, keep walking Forrest!