! ! On The Incredibly Subtle Art Of Walking

You’re walking down Princes Street or across the market square, or in front of the museum, or towards the bus or rail station.. and he’s there, with his poster on a stick and handmedown clothes; and despite lowering your eyes, he says to you, ‘Do you have Faith…? ’ but of course he means that other sort… or higher sort…or whatever… and smart answers will drip off him like the rain that’s dripping from his mac… so, no use pointing out that every step you quickly take in passing him.. is taken in a total faith, unquestioning… Walking is very, very tricky…if you never learned… or have to learn again… you want to move forward: shift your centre of balance dangerously forward to be off-balance… counteract that by extending one leg firmly… now, with that leg as lever, return your centre of balance through the centre of the body, to your other leg, which you then extend, repeating the mirror-image (without prior thought…) of your previous action; now add to this exquisite balance, a swerve to left or right to avoid the oncoming pedestrian who believes his ego has the right of unswerved way… Congratulations! You’ve just managed two steps, in one of the most intricate manoeuvres a human being has invented, since… since when? (Of course, you don’t believe in evolution, Adam walked upright, right…?) Yes, you have faith, my son… but try not to think too much about this as you walk…yet, perhaps a little wonder, even gratitude would do no harm… now, where’s my walking-stick?