10,000 Steps

Our bodies are essentially the same sacks of matter as the bodies of the folks living in these parts some 10,000 years ago. Now I know someone is going to say we are better than the primordal coot rubbing sticks together for a fire as the better half sits in the mud hut, but really when you think about it, are not we that way now? I mean give it some thought and you will note that our homes are brick, stone, cement, stucco -- whatever: when you ponder it, all that stuff is essentially glorified mud. And as for the fire, well, my neighbor took a good half hour getting the briquettes sizzling so he could grill up the ol' brontoburgers this week end just done.

Where we do DO differ is in our methods of locomotion. 10,000 years ago our humanoid ancestor was more like the traveling salesman -- except he had to travel, find the pig, then kill it before he could bring home the bacon for pre-history's answer to the BLT.

Today there is the Stop and Shop, or the Shaw's or any other emporium you may name. And we don't chase and kill the Impala -- we drive in it.

We no longer are taking our 10,000 steps a day. We are Virtual touring, Virtual office"ing", Virtual everything. Except our food is not Virtual. And we are getting fat. We eat too much.

Think it over and you will see how, in even the last 20 years, we have lost our steps: The media remote everytime we change a channel -- 15 steps lost; the cell in our pocket -- 30 steps lost everytime we do not get up to answer the call; the drive through window -- 100 steps; the Hallmark email greeting to Grandma instead of the letter mailed -- 250 steps to and from the Post Box.

Every 25 steps a person takes will burn 1 Calorie. The above examples measure up to about 16 calories of fat stuck on the ribs. Those 10,000 steps we do not take represent about 400 calories of surplus lobbering down there; turning that belly button from an "outy" into an "inny".

What does this have to do with Real Estate? Well, how about scrapping that Virtual tour and taking a real one? Pick your town and walk the streets, hear the birds, feel the pavement under your feet and see if a tax assessment may be in the offing (no V-tour will show that). Then, if you are in my area, call me and I'll walk over and meet you at the corner of Elm and Godin with a lock box key to anything you want to see.