Walk this way

We’re all different, all individuals, but I wonder if you've ever taken the time to really think about in how many ways that is true?

Of course, there’s the obvious ones such as face, fingerprints, iris and DNA, and security firms are constantly coming up with new and bizarre ways to tell us apart (ear-print, anyone? I’m sure I read once that that’s a thing), but how many of you realise that your walk is subtly yours too?

The British Karate Kid - if you don't have a bowler hat you're doing it wrong

Think about it, your walk is determined by your weight, the type of clothes and shoes that you wear, your posture, your fitness, your confidence, your height, the length of your legs, the size of your feet and even your clumsiness. There are so many possible variations that how you put them together is most likely unique to you (this post is not based on any scientific data, just my own observations, so don’t be expecting ‘walk scanners’ at airports anytime soon).

Some people move as you would expect them to, but sometimes you’ll get a surprise. Someone that has lost a lot of weight recently will still carry themselves differently to someone that has always been slim. Sometimes the lightest of people will stomp around on their heels, sounding like a fairy elephant and you'll wonder how they manage to make so much noise.

Check out the people in your life and really watch them, you’ll soon see what I mean. You’ll probably notice that most of this you’ve already assimilated and quite possibly use the knowledge of how they walk and how they move on a regular basis. 

If you’re waiting in a crowded place for someone you may think that you’re scanning the crowd and just looking out for that familiar face, but how often do you spot them while they’re facing the other way? A lot of times you will know that it is them even before you’ve seen their face (the back of a head is not a very good identifier) and this could be down to the fact that on an unconscious level you are recognising the way that they move. 

You may have thought in the past that you had some kind of sixth sense, turning towards your partner or loved one when they’re approaching from off to one side, but in all likelihood your peripheral vision picked up a familiar movement and alerted you to it. Sorry, you’re not clairvoyant, you’re just more observant than you thought.

Take from this what you will - it’s just my thoughts and opinions, after all - but personally I don’t think it’s a bad thing to encourage you to take a bit more time to notice the people around you, especially those you love.

Oh, and I take no responsibility for any heated discussions that take place in your life based on the content of my blog. Please be aware, people, that the reading of this post is only sufficient as an excuse to check out members of the opposite sex for about a week. After that, you’re on your own.