upworthy

walking

Image via Instagram/@ericcaaa_

Elderly couple Jack and Sally are surprised with a snack and hydration table for their apartment hallway walks by neighbor Erica Richardson.

Staying active later in life is the key to a long, healthy life, according to the National Institutes of Health. So when Erica Richardson (@ericcaaa_) noticed her elderly neighbors, a couple named Jack and Sally, walking the halls of their apartment complex, she knew she had to cheer them on.

After watching the couple on her Ring camera, Richardson decided to surprise them with an epic snack and hydration station outside her apartment door. She also made a mock Hallway Walkers newspaper page with the headline, "YOU GOT THIS! Jack & Sally" splashed across it with a photo of them and some inspirational phrases. One says, "Take a drink or snack for the walk back! :)"

She captioned the video, "The highlight of my day fr 🥹🤍😭."

In the video, Erica wrote in the overlay, "The cutest older couple walks the halls everyday for exercise. I live at the very end of the hall so I get like 0 foot traffic but I see them daily. So ofc (of course) I had to do the most and make them a cutie grab n go."

The couple gets an absolute kick the first time they see it, laughing and grabbing snacks (from an assortment of bottled water, coconut water, pistachios, snack bars and crackers). And Sally gives a thumbs up to the Ring camera. On Day 2, Jack waves and Sally blows Erica a kiss through the camera. On Day 3, Sally blows another kiss as she grabs a Kind bar before giving Jack a cheeky slap on the butt as they walk back down the hall together.

Viewers were absolutely tickled about the sweet act of kindness. "Everything. Your kindness. Their love towards each other. Their gratitude towards you. Everybody’s day is made. So much joy," one person commented. Another wrote, "Can you make this a series?! I could watch this daily. So wholesome and sweet, and you're so thoughtful! The sign cracked me up 😂." And another viewer pointed out, "Sally is real frisky, love that for Jack!"

hallway, hallway walk, hallway walking, jack and sally, ring video Neighbors Jack and Sally come across Erica Richardson's surprise snack station for them.Image via Instagram/@ericcaaa_

"Sally and Jack are SO sweet and social neighbors," Richardson tells Upworthy. "They have been such sweet neighbors to get to know, their love for one another is contagious and ADORABLE!"

Richardson adds that they have been amazing neighbors from the start. "When I first moved in, they had me over for charcuterie and wine and showed me their apartment. I felt so welcomed and loved so it was easy for me to want to make their walks special," she says.

She also shared more about the fun poster she created for them, with encouraging phrases like "Walk your pace, win your race" and "A walk today, a stronger you tomorrow."

ring, ring camera, ring video, neighbors, surprise video Jack and Sally grab snacks and blow neighbor Erica Richardson a kiss on her Ring camera.Image via Instagram/@ericcaaa_

"A lot of people ask where I got the photo of them for the poster," she tells Upworthy. "We recently had a scavenger hunt event for the residents and one of the prompts was to stop at this rooftop bar, so that’s where the photo is from on the poster. They won the scavenger hunt, and went to like 25 places around town in 1 day!"

The couple has also gotten a kick out of their video touching so many people. "They came over yesterday and said 'WE WERE ON THE TODAY SHOW!' and were so excited about it, it was the cutest thing ever," Richardson says.

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash
boy in gray sweater beside boy in gray and white plaid dress shirt

Schools are germ cesspools. Parents know it, pupils know, and yep--teachers know it better than anyone. With sickness easily spread in close quarters like schools (and especially during the colder months), staying healthy can seem impossible.

However, some teachers seem to have immune systems of steel–or have simply mastered how to *never* get sick. Even when entire classrooms go down and out, some stand strong. How do they do it? Thankfully, they have spilled their wellness advice for fellow educators and parents alike. Here are 22 ways teachers avoid getting sick, according to teachers.

1. "I make sure to tell students how disgusting they are in very clear terms and enforce a hands washing and hygiene regimen in my classroom. For example, 'did you just eat a bag of chips and touch my computer?' Student: 'I used hand sanitizer...' me: 'go wash your hands now before you do anything else.' Less sick kids in my classroom and less sick me." – Fit-Meeting-5866

2. "No magic bullet - I got Covid for the first time this past year - but here is what I do and it is moderately successful:

  • Vaccines. No joke.
  • If you are able, open windows and air out the room as often as possible. When sickness is at its peak times, I will run the AC or heat and leave the door and windows open, if only just a crack. Air circulation is critical, I am lucky to have control and I don't have to pay that bill.
  • This one will vary according to building policy and your school demographics, but I leave my door open all the time unless we are being loud or there is a lot of commotion in the hallway.
  • I have a small fan at my desk that I use to blow the air away from my face. Kids just think I have hot flashes, but that's rarely true. I just don't want their funk.
  • Turn in as much work as possible online. Paper goes in the tray. Not directly to me.
  • I don't conference much anymore if I can help it. Makes me sad, but my spouse is Very High Risk, so I do what I gotta do.
  • Wash those hands
  • Keep that air moving out, if possible (yes, I know that is a repeat)
  • Sanitize your desk/tabletops as often as you can.
  • I don't hand out or collect pens, pencils, etc. anymore. They are also in a tray. Get one, take it if you need it, put it back when you finish. I don't want to touch it.
  • Avoid cafeteria, teachers' "lounge," hallways during passing periods, sitting in the crowd at pep rallies and assemblies (I always volunteer for door duty)
  • I sit behind them. They breathe forward.

Hope some of this is useful. Exercise. Eat well. Do something to de-stress." – Two_DogNight

3. "Never forget to wash your hands and don't get close enough to a student that you can smell their breath. I still get teacher crude every few months though. Also, when a kid asks to go to the nurse for a cold like symptom? Out comes the Clorox wipes for every table." – Sea_Row_6291

4. "I spray a cloud of Lysol out the door after every kid who's going to the nurse." – InDenialOfMyDenial

5. "Students may not cough or sneeze in your face, but they will on their assignments. Treat any paper that is turned in, as infectious." – Bumper22276

CoughSick Friends Tv GIFGiphy

6. "I teach over 300 students so I wear a mask, I sanitize my hands any time I sit back down at my desk or touch my personal belongings, and I try not to get too close to kids since I teach older students. I take vitamins and try to drink lots of water. I go for a walk every day and try to get a decent sleep so I'm not run down." – ladyonecstacy

7. "Don’t be afraid to where a mask when you know there is something going around. Drink lots of water, vitamins, wash your hands often. Have students help sanitize the desks and high touch locations. Have everyone put hand sanitizer on as they come into the classroom." – mashed-_-potato

8. "I still teach fully masked. I teach teenagers and they are pure Petri dishes and don’t take care of their own immune system. I have never missed a day from work for being sick from something you can catch." – UncomfyNobleGas

9. "This is a small thing, but the box of tissues goes as far from my desk as possible. That means sick kids don't come to my desk with their sniffles." – TeachingAnonymously

TissuesSick Flu Season GIF by Emma DarvickGiphy

10. "Sometimes when I suddenly feel tired and wonder if I’m getting sick, I’ll allow myself to plan a low prep day the next day instead of doing to 1-3 hours beyond my contact that I often need in the beginning of the year. One of the best vet teachers at my school plans a sick/personal day each month and has one of the experienced subs cover her class. She uses that day to recharge & recover. She rarely seems to get really 'really' sick." – JoyfulinfoSeeker

11. "In terms of catching whatever is going around the school, it comes down to proximity control. Don't get too close, don't let them get too close. Don't reach across them (I've had students sneeze on my arm..). Hand sanitize frequently. Don't touch your nose or your mouth. Wash hands often. Get some Lysol or Clorox wipes and routinely wipe down surfaces. If you have student supplies in your room, leave those for the students only. Don't share supplies with them. Don't let them use your stuff.

Otherwise, hydrate. I have a 32oz water bottle, and drink it down twice every school day. I don't seem to suffer from small bladder, so do whatever you need to do for you, but make sure you're hydrating regularly throughout the day.

Take a look at what you're eating. We've all been guilty of "teacher lunch" aka vending machine food (my go-to is a bag of funyuns and a cherry coke zero), but make sure that you're actually eating things with nutritional value and not just refined carbs and sugar. Eat good, feel good. Obviously this depends on your own dietary needs, but look... I'm guilty of dipping into the candy and snacks when I'm busy or stressing and it always makes me feel like shit.

In terms of stress management... I hate to oversimplify here but you gotta just... be less stressed. And I don't mean that in a dismissive way. First year you're panicking about everything, and you're now about to enter your 4th year. You know what is and isn't important, you know what is and isn't worth stressing over. Make sure you are drawing some boundaries.

Also, if you're just generally feeling lousy all the time, go to the doctor. I finally did after a few years of just generally feeling bleh and it turns out I'm slightly anemic. So we fixed that, and I feel better now." – InDenialOfMyDenial

12. "Same rule I had in healthcare: treat everyone like they have the plague." – MuddyGeek

13. "KN95 or better mask. HEPA filters and/or CR boxes. Open windows for ventilation. Clean everything." – youdneverguess

14. "If you can help it, avoid the school cafeteria. It's a giant petri dish of germs and bad hygiene." – JMWest_517

Cafeteriawalking eating GIF by South Park Giphy

15. "I don't see it listed yet, but don't eat in your room! And establish clear boundaries for your desk. Kids don't walk anywhere near it and don't touch anything on it." – positivesplits

16. "I got sick more than eight times my first year, teaching elementary physed, I was told by my doctor that the first few years this is going to happen and then after that, my immune system should be pretty good. And so far, I have only gotten sick a few times a year since. Immunity pro tip sure you’re eating healthy, or at least getting your fruits and veggies in. They can’t cure sickness. But many Americans are deficient in many vitamins, minerals, and vital chemicals that are helpful for immunity." – Plus_Bench_4352

17. "You need the following to not get sick often as a teacher

  1. Good sleep
  2. Exercise
  3. Diet
  4. 5 years of teaching experience to build immunity.

Half the shit my kid brings home from daycare gets my wife sick and doesn't touch me, because I've already had whatever it is." – MemeTeamMarine

18. "I am on year 21 and I used to get sick a lot. Now I do not. I have not changed my lifestyle at all. I eat healthy for the most part I honestly think it is the amount of citrus that I consume. I put true lime, grapefruit, or lemon in every single glass of water I drink. I eat oranges and clementines as snacks. In the last 5 years I have been sick with covid one time and other than seasonal allergies, no illness. Vitamin C is the only thing I can think to attribute it to." – User Unknown

LemonDance Dancing GIF by javadoodlesGiphy

19. "Vitamin C and D every day! Sanitize everything. Keep your hands clean and carry sanitizer with you. I use that stuff after I touch anything. Lysol spray between classes or have students sanitize desks. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, mouth, ears. That’s where most of your illnesses enter the body. Regularly remind kids hygiene practices that prevent the spread of germs." – User Unknown

20. "I personally eat Halls Defense Drops like candy. It’s a Vitamin C supplement. It’s also nice for soothing your throat after a long day. I know some people swear by elderberry supplements and Emergen-C as well, if you’re looking for that kind of thing. But besides that, a few basic practices:

  1. Practice personal space with your students. I have no problem telling my kids to take a step or 2 back if they’re way too close. My desk is a 'holy area' - they shouldn’t be behind my desk, even if I’m sitting there.
  2. If kids leave a tissue or trash on the floor, don’t pick it up. Yes, I understand wanting to make your custodian’s life easier. But if it’s a used tissue, you’re asking for whatever crap they have.
  3. During cold and flu season, spray or wipe tables at least once a day, multiple times if possible. You can also use an air freshener that has disinfectant in it (I think Lysol makes one).
  4. Model good hygiene habits for your students (no matter how old they are!). I have a sink in my class, and I occasionally wash my hands during class for whatever reason. It just reinforces those habits." – H8rsH8

21. "I got sick every two weeks one time during the winter. From November-April I was sick and I felt like crap the entire time going to work because I couldn’t keep taking time off. I bought elder berry/zinc mix through Amazon (liquid version). Put two full droppers in your mouth or drink. Not even joking, I haven’t been sick this entire year and if I did get sick, it was with a mild sore throat that went away in two days. Worked great." – Jiinxx10

22. "I teach math and the only papers that were coming in to me were the tests I gave students. I have them turn in their exams in to a folder away from my desk and I don't open it back up for 24 hours. When I started doing that, I noticed I stopped getting sick as often. Most of my good kids would still show up on test days when they're sick and gross and get all their germs over their papers." – broteus7

Science

5 things 'desire paths' - or human-made shortcuts - reveal about people

Going off the beaten path is a heavily studied phenomenon.

Gordon Joly & wetwebwork/Flickr

If you've ever walked through a public park or across a grassy college campus, you've definitely noticed the phenomenon. Inevitably, there's a paved path or sidewalk leading from Point A to Point B. And then, branching off of that path, is a well-worn patch of dirt where people have chosen to walk instead.

Often the unofficial path is more efficient or more pleasant, and it's just so inviting that you can't help but branch off and walk it yourself. These human-made shortcuts are called Desire Paths — or sometimes Cow Paths or Elephant Paths. (Named as such because big, lumbering animals like to take the shortest route between two points.)


Some people say Desire Paths occur when a design fails to connect with human behavior.

Which makes them incredibly useful for urban planners and other people who design walking paths! Desire Paths are studied heavily, and some places even choose to pave over them once they appear, making them more official. (While others intentionally block them off).

There are even cases where no paving was done until Desire Paths naturally formed — when crowds of people did the engineers' and urban planners' work for them.

People are absolutely fascinated by Desire Paths.

The subreddit devoted to them has over fifty-thousand members! There are massive groups on Flickr where people share photos of desire paths they find in the wild. And a recent X thread of desire paths racked up almost thirty million views.

Why is it that Desire Paths spark such a reaction in us? If I had to guess, it's because Desire Paths are small acts of rebellion. They are literally a visual representation of going off the beaten path. The symbolism is powerful in a world that can feel very mundane and predictable.

They're also something that we create together. No one single person creates a new path. They hold a collective wisdom that resonates deeply somewhere in our souls.

And they teach us about ourselves, believe it or not. Here are a few things we can learn about ourselves from Desire Paths.

1. We're not superstitious, but we're a little stitious.

There are lots of examples of Desire Paths forming around archways or leaning objects.

Sure, you could say people walk around so they don't bump their heads, or maybe to make room for passing cyclists.

But I like to think we just don't want to risk the bad karma.

2. Anything that gets in the way of a straight line is annoying.

If we're walking in a straight line, we generally would like to continue in that straight line.
A decorative circular garden right in the middle of the path might seem like a good idea — but only if you want to see it get trampled.

In the same vein, why walk in a complicated squiggly shape when we can just cut right across?

A paved path with dirt path branching off through treeswetwebwork/Flickr

3. We like gentle hills more than stairs.

It's surprising and fascinating how often people will avoid going up and down stairs if they can cut through the grass instead.

Human beings' hatred of stairs is well-documented, but it's interesting to see it play out visually.

A path worn in the dirt next to stairsGordon Joly/Flickr

Some studies estimate walking up stairs is twice as hard on the body compared to walking up a hill.

A path work into tall grass next to stairsthepismire/Flickr

4. We don't like sharp turns.

If you know people, you won't be surprised to hear that we like to cut corners!

A dirt path next to sidewalkDan Keck/Flickr

We're not robots! We don't like turning at right angles. Plus, if we're in a rush, a more efficient path saves us time.

A dirt path cutting through graveyardGeorge Redgrave/Flickr

5. We like feeling connected to the people that came before.

Holloways are a special sort of Desire Path, carved deep into forests and other nature. They are often ancient. They are ever-changing.

A dirt path carved into forestBy Romain Bréget, CC BY-SA 4.0

By walking through these paths, we become a part of them and a part of history.

A quote from Rebecca Solnit sums it up perfectly:

“Walking is a mode of making the world as well as being in it.”

So go ahead and take the road less traveled. Follow your intuition. You might be on to something, and it could be the beginning of a new and better path!

True
State Farm

Along the Missouri River, there are 26 rambling trails where you can walk or bike through soft marshlands, towering bluffs, pleasing pastures, and thick forests.

Those trails make up the Katy Trail State Park — the longest public area in the United States that was formerly train tracks.

Built on the corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, there's also quite a bit of history to be found on any outdoor excursion in this state park. Most trails go past restored historic depots and former railroad towns. It's no surprise all 240 miles of this park were added to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame in 2008.


Katy Trail State Park. Photo by Kim Horgan, courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

But trails like this weren't always so pleasant.

In the 1950s and '60s, there was dramatic decline in train use. By 1966, less than 2% of intercity commuters were using trains to get from place to place. That left a significant number of train lines defunct and a whole lot of miles of territory in disuse.

Aside from not looking too pretty, these rail lines, including what's now Katy Trail State Park, were just taking up unnecessary amounts of space without serving any purpose.

By the 1980s, "you see Congress starting to get concerned, because they were looking at the permanent loss of these rail lines," explains Amy Kapp, editor of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s magazine and blog.

Photo via succo/Pixabay.

So they amended the National Trail Systems Act to create the Railbanking Program. This allows people to preserve inactive corridors for future rail use while providing interim trail use — aka turning them into walking trails and bike paths.

But it’s often not easy for communities to launch large-scale trail projects on their own. They don't have the money and manpower, or they simply do not have any idea where to start.

That's why David Burwell and Peter Harnik founded the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy — an organization that's been helping to create outdoor paths for the public since 1986.

David Burwell and his wife (left) and Peter Harnik (right). Images courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

By helping convert old railways into public lands like the awesome Katy Trails, the conservancy is giving back to local communities by providing more places to go outside, which in turn may help people feel better physically and mentally. More walkable, bike-able trails also means there's more of America's natural beauty for people to enjoy.

Trail in Washington, D.C. Photo by Milo Bateman, courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Over the last 30 years, RTC has been a great success.

When they opened their doors, there were 250 miles of known rail-trail. Today, there are over 22,774 miles available to communities all over the country and 2,035 known rails have been converted to trails.

It's really quite remarkable when you realize all those trails were once just miles and miles of unused land.

David Burwell passed away in February, but thanks to his passion and skill — and over 160,000 RTC members — his work will live on long after him.

Anacostia River Trail in Washington, D.C. Photo by Suzanne Matyas, courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Currently, RTC is helping to build eight large-scale regional trail systems across the United States.

One particularly significant project is called the Lower Rio Grande Valley Active Transportation and Tourism Plan, or Active Plan for short.

Historic Battlefield Trail in Brownsville, Texas. Photo by Mark Lehmann, courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

The Active Plan is based in Cameron County, Texas, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the country. A 428-mile trail network is on the docket to provide locals with safe travel routes and encourage exercise and outdoor recreation.

These outdoor trails could make life so much better for locals.

The Ortiz family on the Historic Battlefield Trail in Palo Alto, Texas. Photo by Mark Lehmann, courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Being closer to trails could save Cameron County millions of dollars in medical bills.

The community's economy should see a huge uptick too. A plan is set to create 453 new jobs for locals and increase tourism revenue by $40 million. For a county with more than a third of its residents below the poverty line, that’s no inconsequential figure.

Ohio and Erie Canalway Towpath Trail. Photo by Bruce Ford, courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Rails-to-trails conversion starts on the community level — which means that there are lots of ways for people to get involved and maybe even help spearhead a project in their own community.

In fact, RTC's website is a great resource if anyone interested in jumpstarting more trails, providing an online toolbox that's filled with information on railbanking, acquiring and financing projects, planning and trail designs, and how to navigate the railroad and community guidelines.

In addition, RTC is also always looking for volunteers to help advocate for them and their work. After all, it is thanks to those volunteers that we have beautiful public trails weaving through different communities, linking them together, and bringing people back to nature  — they are the ones helping make  Burwell's dream a reality.

"My dream is that one day you could go across this entire country — old or young, handicapped or able — on flat, wide, off-road paths," he once told the RTC publication. "I want rail-trails to be America’s main street."