The First Walk Decides the Day

How the morning walk quietly sets the tone for everything else (#001)

The first walk decides the day.

You don’t announce that.

You just know it’s true.

You step outside and you’re already adjusting.

Not deliberately. You just are.

Weather. Time. How long this is going to take. What that probably means for everything else.

Some mornings it’s simple.

Quick loop. In and out. You feel like the day might behave.

Other mornings it doesn’t.

The dog stops almost immediately.

Then again.

Then once more, like something’s changed since the last five minutes.

You check your watch even though you already know how this goes.

Nothing’s cancelled yet.

It’s just all a bit less likely now.

Later becomes maybe.

Food gets pushed.

An evening plan turns into something you’ll “see how you feel about”.

You speed up for a bit, then slow down again because there’s no point pretending.

You start half-forming explanations you probably won’t bother sending.

By the time you’re back inside, the dog settles straight away.

Curled up. Sorted. As if that was all very normal.

You’re still standing there with your coat on.

Keys in your hand.

Working out what kind of day this is going to be now.

Same walk.

Everything else has to work around it.

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