You need to be “lindywalking.” You need to go to Forest Park. You need to be walking constantly. Going to SLAM, Wydown-Forsyth, the St. Louis Zoo, the MO History Museum, the World’s Fair Pavilion, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Forest, and Brookings. You need to be exercising.
Since the departure of the snow and ice a couple of weeks ago, I have been making use of any free time to go on “lindywalks” to and into Forest Park. What is a “lindywalk” may you ask? Well, a “lindywalk” is a stroll, albeit one that seeks inspiration from the habit of walking in Ancient Cultures. The term itself is derived from the verb “to walk” and the slang adjective “lindy,” which refers to the “Lindy Effect,” which holds that in inorganic things, past longevity predicts future longevity. For example, olive oil is “lindy,” because it has been used in cooking since antiquity and therefore we can use its longevity to predict that it will be around for much longer. Therefore, a “lindywalk” takes inspiration from walking in earlier cultures and civilizations and also suggests that walking will remain a habit for far into the future.
I have found “lindywalking” to be very rewarding as I am continually surprised by the beauty and tranquility of Forest Park. For example, there are parts of it where you can feel as if you are nowhere near an important American city, even though you are in one of the largest cities in the country. Simultaneously, there are countless memorials that are very fascinating, such as Friedrich Ludwig Jahn memorial, which is dedicated to one of the founders of modern physical education. There is also a surprising amount of wildlife, with there even being deer in the park.
Thus, while there is much that I can recommend either for or against the WashU Campus, I feel obliged to recommend that people go to Forest Park and “lindywalk.”