Idlers Accessories: The Walking Stick

I lament the passing of the days when a gentleman wouldn’t leave the house without a walking stick. You see, I have a bit of a “gammy” knee, nothing too serious, I can still do Tai Chi, squat heavy weights, and walk without a limp, but I can’t run and occasionally when walking down hill, or stairs, my knee gives out and I fall over. Which can be quite embarrassing. So I often walk with a cane, but I don’t limp, so I sometimes feel a bit daft strolling round looking perfectly healthy, but with a stick (how pretentious)!

But, with my experience of using a stick, I think it needs a bit of a resurgence, it is an excellent idlers accessory. It is incredibly useful and can make walking a more leisurely experience. You seem to walk with a better, more casual rhythm when you are walking with a cane, like it is a metronome swinging at you side, counting out a slow beat.

Beyond that it has a host of uses: You can use it balance yourself; lean on it when you are bending over, or staring into space, or sitting on a bench; you can point with it; poke things with it; and (if you use a crook handle cane, which I recommend) you can reach for things. You could even (with a bit of practice), use the walking stick as a very effective form of self-defence, in the unfortunate event that you should ever need to (learn the Tai Chi walking stick form).

I think it is about time the cane had a renaissance!

Looks like rain? Get a hook handle umbrella instead…

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Idle Accessories 2: Komboloi

Komboloi are Greek worry beads, used to relieve stress and generally pass the time.

My girlfriend brought me back a set of Komboloi about 7 years ago from Greece. Since then I have almost been inseparable from them. I can get quite fidgety at times, especially if I am nervous or bored or somewhere where I don’t want to be. I have found Komboloi are an excellent focus for that tendency to fidget and help calm me down and stop me from getting bored or distracted.

Komboloi worry beads resemble prayer beads, but, unlike them, bear no religious significance. They are merely an instrument of relaxation and stress management.

I have recommended komboloi to people who want to limit or stop smoking and it seems to be very effective. They are also good for swatting flies…

But mainly they are just a great way to pass the time!

You don’t need to go all the way to Greece to get a set and can order them over the internet for a few dollars…

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Idle Accessories #1: The Humble Dressing Gown

I have to admit, today, I have no idea what to write. I am going to continue the mindfulness mini-course (for want of a better word), next week (I have a bit of a hectic week this week and want to give that subject a bit more time as it is very important to being Slow) and I am working on a new SlowCast (out soon, I promise).

So, I have a list of “blog idea’ that I keep in a document on my Mac, some are quite well developed, some are just a word or a phrase. One just said “Slow Film?”, I have no idea where I was going with that one!

But the one that jumped out was another idea of a random series I was going to start “Idle Accessories”, stuff that help you slow down or that all tortoisem minded people should own. Not a great title I admit, I may change it at a later date.

And number one on that list was the humble dressing gown. It was freezing here yesterday (in the middle of June! Where is the summer?!) and so, to keep warm, I wrapped myself up in my dressing gown whilst doing work. I have a lovely dressing gown, soft, warm, thick and with a hood! A perfect piece of clothing to wander round the house in, whether you are in your pyjama’s or fully clothed. And there is something relaxing, comforting and soothing about pulling on a dressing gown, tying round your waste and collapsing onto the sofa.

Just remember to take it off before you go out.

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