A walk in the park

When I hear a friend say to me, "let's take a walk", I wonder what message it is that warrants my knowledge. It must be an important message because my physical presence is requested. It's a statement like "we need to talk", which for me triggers dread. What bad news is it? Who have I offended this time?

It seems foreign to us here that one of us might just go with a friend or two to a nearby park and just sit and chat or be quiet and people-watch. For us there seems to always be some accompanying purpose, private space, or activity: a particular matter to discuss, exercise (in getting there), digestion; in the yard, on a patio, at a coffee shop; whilst studying or planning, having a picnic or sunbathing, over coffee or milkshakes.

Often I just want to be with a friend for no other reason than to feel the presence of a friend beside me, to experience something together with someone. There is a special intimacy in sharing space, ruminations, and silence; and the spontaneous adventures we find in idle time.