I’ve lost my “brisk!”

The AMA recently declared that walking was a great way to get into and stay in shape and may add years to your life. However, in the report, they stipulated that “brisk” walking was needed to assure the best results.
In taking my daily walk recently, I discovered one unalterable fact: I have lost my “brisk.” If I ever had one. No, I would characterize my walking more as a “trudge.” Or perhaps a “plod.” Luckily I don’t believe I have reached the zenith of aging walks: the “shuffle.” I think, and hope, that “shuffle” comes later. I probably have to go through “slog” and “shamble” to get to “shuffle,” so I think I’m safe for a while.
My wife, Love, has put forth a perfectly simple theory. She says that slowing down is probably connected to the midsection of the body, and that you have to be able to see your feet in order to move them into the brisk gear. I have to admit: when I stand straight and look down, I cannot see my feet. At first this little test caused me quite a bit of consternation. I thought perhaps I had misplaced them, or left them at the foot of the recliner, as I do my slippers. Or perhaps my feet were still in my slippers, not wanting to come out of their warm morning abode.
I was somewhat mollified by the discovery that if I breathe in…deeply…and hold my breath, and look straight down, I can make out the occasional toe or three. Although I can’t distinguish at all what they’re connected to.
Love also suggests that the midsection in question has increased in girth as my eating has increased in speed over the years. She remarks that perhaps the expansion is due to my not chewing well, and finishing my meals in about ½ the time I used to take. I simply attributed the stomach growth to the natural process of losing the sharpness of my teeth over time, forcing me to absorb larger and larger pieces of food.
However, it now occurs to me what has really happened. I have simply moved my brisk from my walking to my eating. That’s where I put it. Well, time to trudge. Talk to you later.