Blessed be the one who can take a walk...

...with a smile on their face
...enjoying the fresh air
...and the water view
...and the vegetables
...without breathing like they're gonna die
...without spitting
...without looking like they're in pain
...listening to bird song and the wind in the trees instead of loud music
...and take the time to smile at a group of children trying to learn how to sail, say hello to a pony and look for flowers to pick.

Poor Stockholmified people in their pro jackets and black tights, huffing and puffing with a haunted look in their eyes and music in their ears. I wonder if they have ever just turned the music off, slowed down and looked at the water surrounding them? I hope so. Either way, I'm not one of them. I tried it once... that is, I tried running for two weeks until I figured for the 61st time in my life that it's not for me. Not for me, not for my knees, not for my stamina, not for anything, really. Horse back riding, aerobics, swimming and walking/hiking is my thing. And you know what? It keeps you alive just as well, and is most likely much better for your knees.

I was out for an hour and a half in the fresh air, enjoying both the bird song, the greenery and the water front - until I stood face to face with an awesome but oh so familiar view of the Nordic Museum. Not brilliant if you're on the city side of things and were trying to get away from everything in the region of cars, lots of people, asphalt... however, not even that did anything at all to ruin my mood. Guess I'll just take a left rather than a right next time, then :)

And another thing - while the scaringly fit, huffing and puffing people come home and feel bad about eating anything at all but powder + water (right?), I'm sitting here with a bag of Ahlgrens bilar and is as happy as could be. Smiling helps, you know, even if it's just for yourself.