The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-09-11
WHEN YOU WALK.

Every living creature-be that crea-
ture simple or complicated. animal or
vegetable. man or jellyfish-begins life
as single cell.
In the journey from cell to man
every individual repeats in infinitely
shorter periods the life history of all
his ancestors, and the latent indiviG-
ual in that single cell can reach nor
NAL maturity only by reason Of favor
able environment at all points.
Every individual comes into this
world only potentially human, actual
ly in stage a trife lower than the
quadruped. But in the course of six
or more months, under careful han
ding, we attain the quadruped stage
and are able to go about on all tours
in others words, we crawl. At about
fourteen months we begin our first
experiments In physical science in
connection with the most familiar and
least understood of all material facts
gravity. After persistent and
strenuous struggle and many bumps
and bruises that stage of development
is won and future civilized man stands
erect, proud of his victory over force
that held his ancestors sprawling for
so many generations; then begins a
lifelong battle between the mind OF
man who would stand erect and the
natural force that will drag him down
the instant he permits his power to
diminish below a definite point
In the beginning no child walks, he
simply toddles; but the art is soon ac-
quired and few children under the age
of ten do not possess well-shaped,
graceful bodies and almost without
exception they are beautiful. And
within this period we most nearly APP
proximate a free natural walk. That
this beauty and grace disappears long
before maturity is due to the terribly
destructive results of environment
and the conventions.
Walking is an art to be attained
only by careful thought and some
practice, and, therefore, 1t is one that
few take the trouble to acquire A
really good style of walking is not to
be picked up in few days. but it is
well worth while to take the trouble
to attain one. The footprints of an
unframed walker form two rows sep
arated by three or four inches, with
the toes pointing out at about thirty
degrees from the line of travel; but
the footprints of an experienced pedes-
a n Cfr-oI oh lin
each foot being exactly IN front of
the preceding one.
In taking a normal step the heel IS
first placed on the ground, the contact
running along the outer side of the
foot, then diagonaily in and forward
along the ball of the foot to the big
toe. Beginning with the left foot, for
example, the movement is executed
by first throwing the weight of the
body forward on that foot from heel
to toe as above described and swing
ing the right leg straight forward with
free action from the hip joint and
bending it at the knee. Just at this
point the powerful calf muscles of the
left leg contract, forcing the entire
body straight up from the ground
about two inches The total body
weight now rests on the ball of the
left foot-that part including the heads
of the first to the fifth metatarsal
bones and the tones. The center of
gravity is advanced in front of this
base and the body falls forward until
| checked by the heel of the right leg,
which has meanwhile been advanced
the distance of the normal stride with
knee Strengthened; and now the left
big toe gives a final push to the body
before leaving the ground, forcing the
body over the dead center and start
ing similar cycle OF rhythmic actions
in the right foot and leg, while the
left is swinging forward to repeat the
same complicated procedure
Walking is, as matter of fact, sim.
ply series Of short forward falls, the
body being raised and dropped at
every stride with each foot placed ex-
actly in line with the other one, as II
you were walking a tight rope The
unframed walker hikes along labori,
ously, swinging his entire body from
side to side to keep his line of gravity
over his base; the trained walker
easily swings his feet under his line
of gravity, effecting an enormous saw
ing of energy in that way, and the
straight, steady momentum of the
heavy trunk helps propel him along.
On the other hand the unframed walk
er receives a jolt with each step in
checking the momentum of the side
swing and expends much unnecessary
energy and time in overcoming inertia.
1t Is not surprising. therefore, that
most persons are exhausted by even
a short walk. Many seek to solve the
problem by means OF rubber tired We
hicles of various sorts, or the demo-
cratic street cars, and never walk
more than few blocks at a time.
These persons have failed to grasp
the principles of human life. and they
are deceiving themselves in thinking
| thew can eyade natura'c rap,,irap,art.