Heavy Load?

It's been over two years since I mentioned the trip my wife & I took to Ethiopia (back in 2010).  During this morning's walk I was thinking about that trip to Addis & the 2 day excursion we took (with a group) to some of the ultra-rural areas outside the city.  That's where you'll see something that's about as unAmerican as it gets—people (mostly women & children) carrying jugs.  Big, plastic water jugs.  And, yes, they were walking...and walking...and walking...who knows how far?  Obviously, I could go on & on about how easy we have it in America, walking a few feet (usually) to turn on a tap with seemingly endless clean water.  But, for now, I'd like to think of the sheer effort & endurance it must take to lug that water around.  And here I am complaining every few days about how heavy my book bag is.  I'm usually good for at least a block, and then it hits me.  "Man, is there something extra in my bag today?," I wonder.  Sometimes I take a mental inventory of what might be in there.  Usually, it's the usual.  Laptop being the heaviest culprit.  I guess there are thousands of Ethiopians who'd love to be carrying a macbook instead of water jugs.  And I imagine they'd love to be walking a measly 4 blocks instead of 4 kms.  Shame on me for complaining.  My walk to work could be much, much heavier.

Some of my long-time followers will remember when I used to keep track of fellow walkers—not people who are out for exercise, but those actually going places...the precious few who decided to walk here or there instead of drive.  I'm going to start the tally again for old time's sake...

Fellow Walker Sightings: 1   The guy had a backpack (hopefully not too heavy) & was probably walking home from campus.

P.S.   This morning's walk was almost entirely litter-free, which is great.  Within a hundred yards of the library, I found an abandoned coffee cup (Jazzman's).  Its new home is a library wastebasket.