It's Anne again -- Lorin will be back soon! I thought I'd chime in on Lorin's earlier post about her early morning walks with a neighbor.

Reston, where Lorin and I live, is a suburb that is (for the most part) designed with the pedestrian in mind. This is extremely rare. Mostly, the automobile rules the road in the burbs.

It gives new meaning to the Shel Silverstein poem, "Where the Sidewalk Ends." You'll be walking along, and suddenly the nice granite sidewalk will disappear. You either have to walk on the shoulder of the road or turn around.

My mother experienced the plight of the pedestrian when she visited me when I lived in Leesburg, Va. She's lived her whole life in cities, and is used to the connectivity of the urban streets. One day, while I was at work (with the car), she decided to go for a walk.

When I got home, she was sitting on the couch with a harried look on her face. "I just thought I'd go to the Target across the street," she said. Even though the Target was 1/4 mile away, she had to cross a large road with six lanes of traffic, a narrow median, and a "no crossing" sign (which she ignored). She had looked so lost, standing there on the shoulder of the road with the cars whizzing by, that a woman had pulled over and offered her a ride.

I truly believe our society will grow stronger if we learn to use our legs again!

A few reasons to embrace a walking lifestyle:

• Notice the gas prices slowly going up? Yup -- those $4.50 per gallon prices are sure to return.
• Walking sheds the pounds. About 1/3 of Americans are clinically obese.
• Global warming: Fewer CO2 emissions from cars means a healthier planet.

There are small signs that the pedestrian is making gains. A lot of the newest developments are "town centers," with stores, homes and offices all within walking distance of each other. And I was happy to see a government website that has great tips for making your community more pedestrian friendly.

I'll conclude with a few words from a great man and a great walker (of cobblestone streets, of course):

"Providence has appointed few to roll in carriages while He has given to all a pair of legs, which are machines infinitely more commodious and serviceable. Be grateful then and make a proper use of yours."

-- Benjamin Franklin