Now that my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is imminent, my thoughts begin to focus on traditions that require a significant allocation of time to be set aside for strategic planning.
Upon this revelation, one might assume that my energy is targeted at tasks such as locating my electric carving knife, which is stored in an obscure location that can be tracked only by using the Find My Knife app on my iPhone 6. Or maybe it’s aimed at gathering recipes for low-caloric desserts that probably will remain untouched due to the popularity of competing delicacies imbued with high-fat cream, chocolate-coated almonds and synthetically-produced colors.
Truth be told, neither of the above is part of my bailiwick of Thanksgiving traditions. That doesn’t mean I do not engage in meaningful activities. Au contraire: My Thanksgiving is filled with activities, one of which signifies my commitment to health.
Each year, the New Albany Walking Club members gather at my home for a three-mile pilgrimage that meanders through the walking paths surrounding my abode. This serves as a reprieve from the glutton of “turkey trots” held throughout central Ohio.
Instead of rewarding our club members with the usual T-shirt offered by race directors – for an entry fee, of course, and sometimes a high one at that – we reward each club member, for an entry fee of $0, a post-walk apple pie to enjoy with family members, hot chocolate to relieve the sting from the exposure to the cold weather and, most importantly, the opportunity to partake in a healthful activity and great conversation with some 60 others whom they all know, rather than 5,000 strangers. Yes, I agree that apple pie and hot chocolate do not epitomize good health – but it’s only once per year.
The Heit-sponsored walk is not the only healthful Thanksgiving tradition that takes place in our community. As you read “Dine and Dash” on page 16, you will be reminded that other residents in the community also have guilt-free holiday activities. Let’s extend the pilgrimage past the holidays.
Healthfully,
Phil Heit, Executive Editor
