I am an ambulant wheelchair user having suffered negatively from two surgeries on my left hip. My right leg is still ‘workable’ and my doctor has requested I exercise my ‘good’ leg so it does not lose strength and movement as my left leg has. 

I’m very fortunate to live opposite a golf course and the Council has provided an excellent wide pathway for members of the public to use which goes right around the golf course so my plan was to attempt to go for regular ‘walks’ using my crutches. My first attempt resulted in me walking across the road and back but I’ve built up to now managing to walk a distance of 600 metres in about 30 minutes. I know I won’t set any land speed records at that pace but it keeps me moving and I’m discovering more and more about my neighbourhood. 

I recall reading somewhere that nature should be observed at a snail’s pace. Well, I believe that this can include our local neighbourhoods and with my walking pace being similar to that of a snail I believe I have the best method of observation.   

Initially, I wore my earbuds and listened to podcasts during my walk. I would greet other walkers with a nod of the head and that was all. The purpose of my walk was to get it done but slowly I discovered so much more and so many things that I passed by without noticing. 

The large fig trees that form a line between the fairway and pathway provide very welcome shade for walkers and runners and are home to many other species of plant growing in them, obviously from birds dropping the seeds. There’s also a family of ducks that inhabit one of the waterways on the golf course. I’ve seen the ducklings grow from timid little balls of fluff to now being fully grown giving cheek to each other. I commonly hear the melodic chortle of magpies and the screeching of cockatoos and corellas making an assault on my hearing.  

I’ve made a few four-legged friends as well, one being Rosa, the brindle staffy who is always up for a pat, a sniff and a lick (her sniffing and licking – not me!) while her owner and I discuss the weather for a minute or so. There’s also Prince – the chihuahua who is not what I could call a friend. As he and his owner pass I’ll say “Good morning Prince” to which he replies with a low growl without averting his eyes from the front. His owner and I get a little chuckle out of this as we pass. 

Runners also fly past at times and often comment on my effort, saying “Awesome effort buddy” or a favourite of mine is “I hope this sweat is my fat cells crying”. There are such a wide variety of people, from ladies in their 20s and 30s pushing prams as they power walk, middle-aged men and women walking for fitness to older couples enjoying a stroll as they appreciate the scenery and each other. 

I pass the odd person who is similar to how I was – head down, wearing earbuds and not acknowledging anything happening in our environment and I feel so sorry for these people not sharing the experiences of what is around them.

If you do not have a pathway outside your door, maybe there is somewhere locally such as a park or reserve that you could explore and learn more about while meeting new people. Believe me – it certainly is worth the effort.   

ABOUT ME

Bill is a husband, father and grandfather who lives in the central Queensland town of Maryborough. Bill is an ambulant wheelchair user following two failed surgeries. He is very passionate about disability rights and is a member of the Fraser Coast Council’s Inclusive Access Advisory Committee. Bill enjoys wheelchair basketball, photography, woodwork and spending time with his family. You can find Bill on twitter @bilfulaAU