Columnists
Taxing the walk
Just like you, I am confined to my house. However, unlike you returning snowbirds in self-isolation, I can go out for walks as long as I keep my two-metre distance from passersby—not that difficult an objective in Wellington. Of course, you can still greet them with a friendly hello—which passes for rich social interaction under the present limitations.
One of the truly satisfying things about going out for a walk is that you can wrench yourself away from the toxic drug of the all bad news on television and the Internet. Instead, you get to hear the birds going about their business. They seem indifferent to our presence, which is strangely comforting. Maybe they are aware of the shenanigans the human species gets up to. Maybe they like watching us as much as we enjoy watching them. Maybe they are taking some satisfaction from our misery, as payback for our decimation of their numbers and variety.
You also occasionally get to see our local fox. He carries himself with the nonchalance of a creature who is unafraid of humans, If he wants to cut through my backyard in order to get where he’s going, he’s not going to be dissuaded by my presence. In fact, he strolls down the centre line on Wellington Main Street in the bold light of day, just as if he owns the place. Which in a way he does.
He makes a good symbol for Wellington. He isn’t fazed by anything. He’s assertive, but not overbearing. He has the smarts to make it through our tough weather seasons without complaint. He doesn’t have a lot to say, but carries himself with dignity. Just like people in Wellington.
Whenever I go out for a walk, I feel better for the experience, so much so that I wonder they haven’t got around to putting a tax on walks. In fact, there are rumblings from darker quarters that people who go out for walks should be paying for the privilege. The County is said to be considering a system of “walk permits,” which operate much like burn permits. You pay a one-time fee for a permit, and then phone in to the County for permission every time you propose to go for a walk. The fee would cover you to spend, say, 10 hours walking; you would register your walk’s start and end times. Just like with late books in a traditional library system, there would be stiff penalties for time overages. One County official said it was only right that users of the County’s infrastructure— in this case, sidewalks—pay for the use of that infrastructure. Plus, the County has encouraged the shutdown of visitor accommodation, so there very little tourist revenue circulating in the local economy.
So the County may decide to reap a dividend from the fact that all the wretched news dominating our screens these days is driving people to go for extended walks. There is no truth to the rumour that the County is secretly cheering the fact that Donald Trump has put himself more front and centre to the press, even though this will induce County residents to spend even more time outside walking. Trump’s blazon flaws fascinate people; no matter how bad a job he does, his approval ratings go up, Go figure.
Or go for a walk.
The Wellington Times and the Wellington literary community lost a good friend last month. Roger Whittaker, a career newspaperman, worked at the Times as a volunteer copy editor for a decade together with his wife Pat. We will miss his gentle good humour and his realitybending poetry.
On Monday, we learned that singer/songwriter John Prine is gravely ill with the coronavirus. Prine’s songs combine humour and compassion in his own quirky way. His fans worship him. His work is unforgettable. His songbook will live on.
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