The Newtown Pentacle

Tuesday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

As described yesterday, a walk down a fairly steep road here in Pittsburgh’s ‘South Side Slopes’ area was undertaken. The effort was concocted in pursuit of reaching and exercising certain muscle groups in the legs, which weakened during the multi month recovery period after one suffered a broken left ankle, in September of last year. Horror plagues me, given the speed at which I now walk and my lessened capability to turn the planet beneath my feet. Fatigue, which I believe the French probably pronounce as ‘Fat Ih Gway,’ sets in quickly these days.

Always, I ponder: What if?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

It’s a question I ask myself all the time. If a proverbial ‘poop hits the fan’ moment pops up and I find myself in the middle of something awful (Zombies, Hurricane Sandy returns, 911 returns, storms, blizzards, blackouts, fires etc.), could I just walk away from it to get safe?

The answer I used to offer in NYC was that at my normal walking pace, I could painfully handle about 25 miles or so a day with my twenty pound camera bag (for reference) on my back if I had to, but there would be a price to pay for that sort of all day long ‘leaning into it.’ Blisters, sprains, garment failure, fatigue building all day… I’m also restricting the walking to daylight hours, so twelve hours at two to two and half miles an hour… that used to be comfortably doable for me.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Just remember, though, I’m in my late 50’s and have never been a physical ‘specimen’ so I move at my own pace, particularly so these days.

In comparison to this shadow of his former self – an 18 year old soldier, according to Google’s Ai – moves like the Flash compared to me: ‘In the US Army, a standard ruck march requirement for earning badges like the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) and Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB) is a 12-mile foot march carrying a 35-pound load, completed in no more than three hours.’

I hope that whatever emergency it is that I’d have to walk from doesn’t involve being chased by the Army. Y’ never know…

What if I become contaminated and mutate into an emerald rage monster? Can’t expect the military to overlook that sort of thing.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

At the point where South 18th street flattens out, I found myself having to walk a few blocks east to South 21st street in order to get around some construction work blocking the way. I could have stuck with South 18th, but the construction work introduced a series of obstacles which aren’t – what I’ve come to describe as – ‘ankle friendly.’

This walk was all about the exercise, I’d remind. The downhill section involved hitting certain otherwise difficult to reach muscle groupings at the top and front of the thigh, which a controlled descent down a steep grade would hit. The section starting here is largely flat land, alongside the flood plain of the Monongahela River. A different set of rubber bands and muscles would be hit on this section as I leaned into things. The big muscles in the butt, and back of thigh, specifically.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

It was fairly evenly divided, this scuttle. Roughly half of the mileage was downhill, with the remainder occurring in a largely two dimensional fashion. Saying all that, yeah, I was experiencing a good amount of discomfort, but was successfully avoiding dragging my foot, limping, or walking like the Batman villain Penguin. This is progress.

As you may have noticed by now, I’m desperate for sympathy and a pat on the back promising ‘you’re going to get there, pal.’ I’ve started making summer plans, some of which are a bit ambitious. If I don’t have some actual ‘fun’ soon, your humble narrator may go limping off into the woods while screaming obscenities and not return.

All work and no play make Mitch a Mitch Mitch.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One thing about Pittsburgh – lots and lots of churches. I’m intrigued, but haven’t done any of the social networking involved with getting invited in to record the blessed fineries. I’m like a vampire… and need to be invited in to do my thing. Hate doing ‘run and gun’ shots in sacred spaces.

Back tomorrow with more.

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Buy a book!

“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.