Take a Walk on the Mild Side!

Wanted to make a descriptive narrative with some wordplay sprinkled in. Check it out inside!

Not sure why I came up with that title, other than the caption is about walking, and apparently my brain has a few synapses connected to Lou Reed I guess.

I saw this picture and with the long, straight path behind her, it seemed like she'd been walking for some time, and was clearly enjoying it, taking her time getting to where she needed to go. The type of walk where you forget where you started, and aren't sure where the end of the route is, until you get there, but it's more of the experience of the journey, rather than arriving at your destination. I knew that I wanted to write a caption that was more descriptive than usual, and I thought that I could get in some fancy footwork styled wordplay into it as well, regardless of what the plot was. And that is how I started, without a real ending in sight, pretty much like our protagonist.

And, if it wasn't clear .. this is a caption about walking a mile in another's shoes. It vaguely started that way, and was firmed up as I wrote it. I am hoping I was subtle enough to get the point across without banging you readers over the heads with it. "CHANGE YOUR LIFE flyer on bulletin board. Student goes into lab for an experiment .. if they like the new life they've been swapped into, then just walk the mile and you are now that persona. Otherwise, head back and let us know about the experience" was the soft idea of what I had in mind, cemented by the time I hit the fourth paragraph.

Once I hit that plot point, I could figure out the ending from there. The further she got from the beginning steps, the more she was into the new life she would lead. It's a nice thought honestly, and while some might call it identity death, I can it a real upgrade because she takes to it so quickly.

And I love the last line of the caption, as it IS a zinger, but it is more nuanced than a punchline that needs a rim-shot to accent it in the right spot. Just another term within the sauntering steps that defined the rest of the 'walking' plot-line. To me, it's very sublime, and possibly one could miss it the first time around.

Also, there could be some metaphor for free will versus a predetermined life, but I wouldn't bet someone else's life on it! That's all on you to decide my contextual idiosyncrasies. Feel free to slander my work if you so choose, or rant and rave about how cool this caption is and where you can find another college professor to get you involved in their work study!

Anyone ever get through 'Metal Machine Music' by Lou Reed? It's really hard. I can get through a song or two at a time. Even worse is trying to get through 'Lulu' by Lou Reed and Metallica!