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A Moving Manifesto for the New Walkers of the 31st Century

“Memory is not housed in walls, but in the skin that has brushed against them a thousand times when passing by.” Fragment rescued from the walls of the Unfading House (1), year 3098.

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I. WALKING AS AN ARCHITECTURAL ACT

Walking is, in itself, a form of architecture. But not the kind built with concrete or algorithms; rather, it’s a dermal architecture: an architecture that is built and eroded on the skin. Every step is a contact with the ground, with the wind, with the textures of the world, with what once was.

We don’t need more roofs; we need journeys. We live in an era—that of Toxic Realism—where structures no longer protect us; they sicken us, isolate us, watch us, deceive us with promises of security while stripping us of our souls. In this domestic dystopia, walking becomes a form of dissent, a living design, unstable but genuinely human.

II. WALKING ON RUINS

The Unfading House, whose history extends to the year 3100, has not physically collapsed… but it has emotionally. Its fallen walls still stand in some parts, but they are symbolic ruins, fragments of a civilization that forgot itself.

Walking on these ruins—not just on stones but on eroded experiences—transforms into a way of reading the past with our feet, as if each step were a syllable of a secret language that only the body can interpret. Walking is, then, a bodily reading of memory, of past emotions (2).

These ruins are not just the ruins of a house, but of a model of life, of a way of thinking, of an emotion, of a false idea of progress.

III. THE SKIN AS A MAP

Our feet, our soles, our legs… have been forgotten in the equation of modern existence. We have been immobilized by screens, by sedentary jobs, by the false promise of digital hyperconnectivity. But what is disconnected is not the WiFi: it is the body from the world, it is the body from its own silenced emotions.

Walking reactivates the skin as a map. We don’t need compasses if we recover the dermal sense of space. When we walk, we don’t seek a destination: we seek to remember what we were to feel past emotions, reconstruct what we are, reimagine what we could be.

IV. TO REMEMBER IS TO WALK

The act of walking not only stimulates the body: it stimulates emotional, tactile, unconscious memory. Each journey activates dormant memories, forgotten thoughts, sensations that were encapsulated by the toxic architecture of confinement.

Walk in solitude or in company. Walk aimlessly. Walk on cities that no longer exist. Walk as a method of healing. Walk as a way to see each other again, and to see ourselves again within ourselves.

V. WALKING AS INSURRECTION IN ARCHETH

In the ARCHETH: Architectural Echo-Transfer Hub program (3), walking is not a recreational activity. It is an essential axis for reconfiguring time, identity, and knowledge. Walking is an ancient technology. In a hyperdigital world, walking is not primitive; it is revolutionary.

ARCHETH also functions as a platform for receiving Architectural Echos and for transmitting all kinds of emotional memories, both positive and negative.

ARCHETH proposes a mutant, organic urbanism, where routes are more important than buildings. Walkable cities are not a luxury: they are a spiritual urgency. In ARCHETH, each walk generates an “emotional cartographic modification (correction)” that is recorded not in satellites, but in the fabrics of collective consciousness.

VI. REASONS TO WALK: A CALL TO HUMANITY

Walk to breathe with your whole body. 🦶 Walk to exit the algorithm. 🦶 Walk to touch the world with your skin. 🦶 Walk to remember without the need for screens. 🦶 Walk so you don’t become a ruin. 🦶 Walk to emotionally assimilate Toxic Realism. 🦶 Walk because the future is built step by step. 🦶 Walk because there is no house anymore, but there is a path.

VII. CONCLUSION: THE FIRST STEP

The Unfading House still inhabits our minds. Its corridors are within us. But it’s no longer enough to inhabit it. We must leave it behind. We must walk on its ruins to understand its message and free ourselves.

Because in the 31st century, and just like now, there is only one way to save the human soul: to walk again.

#ToxicRealism #ArchitectureOfMemory #WalkingIsRevolution #TheUnfadingHouse #ARCHETH #WalkThinkFeel #WalkingOnRuins #DermalArchitecture

(1) Loya Lopategui, Carlos, The Unfading House, EMULISA, Mexico, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FJ6HZKC1

(2) Loya Lopategui, Carlos, Anapopatehia: Reliving the Emotions of the Past, EMULISA, Mexico, 2024. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPJL579C

(3) Loya Lopategui, Carlos, ARCHETH: Architecture of Memory and Forgetting, EMULISA, Mexico, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FL1H1DBT

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Walking towards Complete Health: The Rhythm of Numbers

Walking is an activity as simple as it is powerful. It connects us with our body, frees us from stress and invites us to observe the world around us. But have you ever thought about how mathematics accompanies every step you take?

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From the golden ratio reflected in the length of our strides to the rhythms of our breathing synchronized with our heartbeat, walking is a mathematical act in motion. And nature, in all its greatness, is governed by numerical patterns that, without realizing it, we follow every day.

The Art of Walking with Mathematical Rhythm

1. Steps as numerical sequences

Think of walking as an infinite progression of numbers. Each step we take can be represented as a cumulative sum: one step + another step = progress. Isn’t this similar to a mathematical series? On each walk, we build a unique path that combines symmetry and movement.

2. The golden ratio in our body

Our body follows fascinating mathematical patterns. From the length of our limbs to the proportion between our torso and our legs, the golden ratio (1.618) is present in each of us. Even when we walk, this natural balance propels us forward with efficiency and grace.

3. Rhythm and time: the compass of movement

Walking is not only physical; it also has a temporal component. Each step has a unique rhythm, which can be measured in steps per minute or beats per second. It’s as if our walking is an internal metronome, a constant reminder that time and movement are deeply intertwined.

4.- Accompanying our body with steps of the Fibonacci sequence

The Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…) is a perfect example of how small beginnings can lead to big progress. Just as each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two, each step we take is a sum towards better health. Walking daily reflects that cumulative growth: one step leads to another, and together you build a path to well-being.

Mathematics and Walking: A Relationship for Life

In addition to the physical benefits of walking, integrating math into our daily walks can be an eye-opening experience. For example, counting your steps, measuring distances, or even observing patterns in your environment (such as lined trees or curves in a trail) can make a walk richer and more meaningful.

Mathematics does not have to be abstract or distant. By walking, you can discover that they are present in every corner of the world. And if you ever doubt the power of numbers, remember that they are the basis of life itself: from the cycles of the moon to the geometry of a flower.

The Connection with the Essay “The Infinite Mischief of Infinity”.

If you have been fascinated by this connection between walking and mathematics, we invite you to explore more in the book “The Infinite Mischief of Infinity” where numbers and mathematical equations come to life in humorous stories full of humorous situations, creativity and revelations that perhaps never before you have heard. Numbers, like vivid characters, reflect philosophically to convey to us that they are our faithful companions and friends for life. It is a novel that opens the way for us to rediscover a world that we generally keep away from us but that with its antics show us that they are essential for our survival, since we can live with them.

If you want to get more involved in these numerical stories, we invite you to read the complete novel on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DT7TDM9N.

The Animated Short Film “The Judgment of Infinity: Chaos or Beauty?”.

In addition, very soon you will be able to enjoy the Animated Short Film: “The Judgment of Infinity: Chaos or Beauty?”, which promises to take you to a world full of mathematical imagination. Don’t miss it and stay tuned for its premiere. This short film, which is inspired by the ideas of the essay, is a creative project that combines a captivating narrative and endearing characters to convey that numbers are our friends and that we should not have any aversion towards them or any of the mathematical symbols or equations. Keep an eye on this space, where we will share a link to the short film soon.

Walk Every Day: Your Formula for a Complete Life

Start your day with a walk. Listen to your steps, feel the rhythm of your breathing and see the world with new eyes. Each step is an equation that adds well-being to your life.

Remember: walking not only strengthens your body, but also your mind and spirit. And by incorporating mathematics into this daily activity, you can discover the infinite beauty that surrounds us. Walk and connect with the universe, one step at a time!

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Is Procrastination a Blockage of Thanatos? The Erotanathic Reprogramming System and the Power of Conscious Movement

1.-Walking: A Catalyst, Not an End in Itself

In this post, we’re not just promoting walking as an isolated physical activity, nor are we telling you to stop procrastinating your exercise sessions. This isn’t about overcoming resistance to walking for its own sake.

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What we propose is something much deeper: incorporating walking as a symbolic and practical tool within our Erotanathic Reprogramming System (ETRS). Its purpose is to interrupt the thanatic reactive patterns that lead you to postpone decisions, tasks or projects of great importance in your life.

Walking, in this context, isn’t an escape. It’s a way to reactivate Eros, the instinct for life, movement, creativity, and connection with what is waiting to be born within you. By using the body in motion, we break the spell of mental immobility that procrastination weaves around you.

The brief, conscious, and ritualized walk proposed by ETRS activates a powerful symbolic system, interrupts repetitive psychological games, and prepares the emotional ground for you to move forward with your daily tasks. Walking is just the first step; the true act of creation happens afterward, when you return with a new impulse to do what you had postponed.

2.-Procrastination: When Thanatos Takes Control

Procrastinating is rarely a conscious decision. Often, it’s not a lack of organization, responsibility, or discipline. It is, in its essence, a form of vital blockage, where Thanatos, the archaic instinct that tends toward immobility, denial, and freezing, subtly takes control. This instinct manifests as tiredness, apathy, indifference, or even a sudden perfectionism that justifies inaction.

Thanatos takes over your will through self-sabotaging thoughts: “better later,” “I’m not ready yet,” “it’s not worth it,” “better rest,” “I’ll do it right later.” And meanwhile, Eros, the impulse for life, creation, and expansion, remains on pause. The genuine desire to advance, transform, and complete slowly fades… almost imperceptibly.

3.-Eros, Thanatos, and the Nervous System: Walking as a Biological Modulator

Behind the deep symbolism of walking, there is a powerful physiological logic. The human body regulates its emotional, instinctive, and survival responses through the autonomic nervous system, which is divided into two complementary branches:

• The sympathetic system: Responsible for activating, mobilizing, and responding to challenges. It speeds up the heart, dilates pupils, and increases attention. Symbolically, we can associate it with Eros in its vital impulse and its capacity to push towards life, movement, and action.
• The parasympathetic system: Reduces bodily activity, lowers heart rate, relaxes muscles, and inhibits environmental responses. It is the system of protective immobility and can be seen as the physiological correlate of Thanatos when it becomes dominant and paralyzing.

When procrastination becomes chronic, our parasympathetic system can be overactivated, pushing us to avoid, to freeze, and not to act. Our body enters a state of “protective stillness” that perpetuates emotional immobility.

It is at this point that conscious walking becomes a symbolic and physiological strategy for disruption. By moving the body, we move the nervous system. The rhythmic and ritualized walk, as proposed by ETRS, generates a progressive stimulation of the sympathetic system, gently awakening vital energy, focus, and the desire to act. Walking is a micro-action that restores balance.

4.-Applying ETRS to Deactivate Procrastination

The Erotanathic Reprogramming System (ETRS) proposes the development of the following four phases, based on the book Sistema de Reprogramación Erotanática (1):

Phase 1: Symbolic Diagnosis

What myth is governing your inertia? What impulse dominates your silence or paralysis?

Instruction: Write a phrase you repeat to yourself every time you decide to postpone.

• Examples:
  • “I’m not inspired yet.”
  • “I still have time, no rush.”
  • “If I do it quickly, it won’t turn out well.”

Mythical Association: Identify the myth that reflects your attitude:

• Sisyphus, condemned to repeat efforts?
• Penelope, endlessly postponing the end while weaving excuses?
• Narcissus, contemplating desire without acting?

Symbolic Activation: Respond to that myth with a simple, vital, direct phrase from Eros.

• “Do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
• “Start without knowing how it ends.”
• “One step is a victory against paralysis.”
• “I walk towards what I fear.”

Phase 2: Decoding the Psychological Game

What “game” are you playing with yourself? Whom do you blame, or what are you escaping from?

Introspective Exercise: Choose your game:

• The paralyzed perfectionist.
• The martyr who postpones to help others.
• The eternal planner.

Write it on a piece of paper. Then, perform a small symbolic act: tear it up or burn it in a safe space.

Breaking the Game Through Walking: Go for a 10-minute walk with a single thought: “I am leaving the game.” Don’t bring your phone or music. Listen to your steps. Feel your breath. This is your first concrete act of rupture.

Phase 3: Deactivating the Reactive Pattern

Breaking the thanatic chain that sustains procrastination.

Brief Erotanathic Walk: Before starting a task you’ve been postponing, walk for 10 minutes. While walking, repeat phrases internally such as:

• “One step = one advance.”
• “My body moves = my will awakens.”
• “I am movement.”
• “My body moves = my will awakens.”
• “I walk towards what I fear.”

Upon Returning: Don’t try to finish the entire task. Just take the first minimum step.

• Example: open the document, write the title, set a date. Starting is not the same as finishing. But starting interrupts the dominance of Thanatos.

Phase 4: Monitoring and Adjustment

Sustaining progress without falling back into inertia.

Post-Walk Mini-Ritual: After each activation walk, write 3 words that describe how you feel. Keep them in a notebook, like a logbook of active Eros.

3-Day Challenge: For 3 consecutive days, before facing a task you usually postpone, do your 10-minute Erotanathic walk. That’s all. Don’t judge the results. By the third day, the chain begins to break.

5.-What Walking Symbolizes

Procrastination isn’t overcome by forced willpower. It’s overcome by symbolic movement, by Eros activated through the body. Walking is, at times, the simplest and quietest way to start.

Walking is the external gesture of an internal decision:

• You don’t wait for motivation; you provoke it.
• You don’t negotiate with Thanatos; you interrupt it.
• The body’s movement activates Eros, and that small physical act can be the threshold to escape mental immobility.
• Don’t walk to escape. Walk to return.

6.-Epilogue: Walking as the Reactivation of Eros and Dissolution of Thanatos

Walking doesn’t just put the body in motion; it organizes the mind, loosens emotional knots, clears ideas, and restores the soul’s lost rhythm. Every simple step is a profound affirmation:

• I am alive.
• I am here.
• I can keep going.

Walking deactivates the fog of thanatic stagnation, destroying procrastination. It dissolves heaviness. It reverses mental rigidity. And in its place, an unexpected feeling emerges: inner lightness. Breathing changes. Vision clears. Willpower reappears.

Walking doesn’t solve problems, but it restores the center from which they can be faced. Because Eros awakens when the body is activated with meaning. And Thanatos, silently, loses ground when there is a simple, sustained, and symbolically directed physical act.

Conscious walking is not an escape. It’s a way to return to yourself. It’s a silent declaration that you want to continue participating in your own life. Walking is the gateway to the self-generation of well-being. It’s where the journey back to who you are, to what you can be, begins. It’s the oldest—and most human—gesture of saying yes to life and to Eros, and no to procrastination.

(1) Loya Lopategui, Carlos, Sistema de Reprogramación Erotanática, EMULISA, México, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FJJRL2GX.

Could it be that the Sympathetic System moves Eros and the Parasympathetic moves Thanatos; or vice versa? Walking, regardless of the true causality, efficiently deactivates Procrastination.

Let’s go for those few minutes of walking every day and chase away that character of denial.

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The desert has been a symbolic and literal

setting for the search for truth, faith,

and self-improvement throughout history.

Walking through the desert offers a unique and enriching experience that combines natural beauty with a deep spiritual connection. The vast desert landscape, with its sand dunes and infinite horizon, invites introspection and meditation. The solitude and silence of the desert provides an ideal space to get away from the bustle of everyday life, allowing hikers to reflect on their thoughts and emotions in a serene and majestic environment.

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Furthermore, the desert is a place where you can appreciate the resilience and adaptability of nature. Despite the extreme conditions, a surprising variety of flora and fauna life has found ways to thrive. Walking through the desert, one can observe up close how plants and animals have developed unique strategies to survive, which can inspire hikers to face their own challenges with a new perspective and admiration for life.

Finally, walking through the desert is not only a physical adventure, but also a test of personal endurance. The harsh terrain and extreme weather conditions challenge hikers to push their limits and develop greater mental and physical strength. This type of walk fosters a sense of achievement and self-confidence, reminding us of the human ability to adapt and grow even in the most difficult environments.

Famous or Important People Who Have Walked Through the Deserts

1. Moses

o Period: Approximately 13th century BC.

o Religion: Judaism, Christianity, Islam

o Context: Moses is a central figure in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. According to the Bible, he led the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt and wandered in the Sinai Desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land (1).

2. Jesus of Nazareth

o Period: 1st century AD.

o Religion: Christianity

o Context: According to the New Testament Gospels, Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil. This period is known as Lent in Christian tradition.

3. Muhammad (Muhammad)

o Period: 7th century AD.

o Religion: Islam

o Context: The Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam, spent time in the Arabian Desert where he received divine revelations that form the Quran. His retreat on Mount Hira is particularly significant.

4. Elijah

o Period: Approximately 9th century BC.

o Religion: Judaism, Christianity

o Context: The prophet Elijah, an important figure in Judaism and Christianity, fled to the desert to escape Queen Jezebel and was fed by angels, according to the Bible.

5. John the Baptist

o Period: 1st century AD.

o Religion: Christianity

o Context: John the Baptist lived and preached in the Judean Desert, where he baptized people in the Jordan River and proclaimed the coming of Jesus.

6. Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)

o Period: 6th-4th century BC.

o Philosophy/Religion: Buddhism

o Context: Although not specifically known for desert wandering, Buddha spent time on solitary retreats in forests and other secluded locations in his quest for enlightenment, sharing the spirit of retreat and reflection that characterizes desert wanderings. .

7. Lawrence of Arabia (T.E. Lawrence)

o Period: 20th century

o Historical Context: During the First World War

o Context: Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a British officer who organized the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire and spent much time in the Arabian Desert.

8. Hermes

o Period: Ancient Greek mythology

o Philosophy/Religion: Greek mythology

o Context: Hermes, the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, is often associated with journeys and paths, including deserts, carrying messages between the gods and humans.

9. Gilgamesh

o Time: Approximately 2100 BC.

o Religion/Philosophy: Mesopotamian mythology

o Context: In the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, King Gilgamesh of Uruk travels through various landscapes, including deserts, in his quest for immortality and wisdom.

Walking through the desert can be a transformative experience, offering a space for reflection, self-improvement, and spiritual connection. The lessons drawn from these historical and mythological figures teach us that the desert is a place of revelation, testing, refuge, preparation, enlightenment, strategic discovery, communication and existential quest. By walking through the desert, one can find mental clarity, spiritual strength, and a new perspective on life and its challenges.

Below are a series of recommendable and very positive lessons that can be extracted from the experiences of these characters walking through the desert.

o The desert can be a place of revelation and deep learning. Walking through the desert allows for a closer connection with the divine and the possibility of receiving spiritual guidance.

o The desert can be a place of personal testing and strengthening. Facing and overcoming challenges in the wilderness can increase mental and spiritual resilience.

o The desert offers a space of tranquility and isolation where one can receive inspiration and wisdom. Walking through the desert can facilitate moments of deep introspection and revelation.

o The desert can be a place of refuge and renewal. The solitude of the desert allows hikers to find solace and spiritual rejuvenation.

o The desert can be a place of preparation and transformation. Walking through the desert allows you to prepare your heart and mind for new beginnings and important missions.

o Isolated environments such as the desert can facilitate the encounter with inner truth. Walking through the desert allows hikers to find clarity and peace of mind.

o The desert can be a place of strategic discovery and personal growth. Walking through the desert allows you to develop leadership skills and adaptability.

o The desert symbolizes travel and communication. Walking through the desert facilitates the transmission of important ideas and messages, both to oneself and to others.

o The desert can be a place of existential search. Walking through the desert allows walkers to reflect on life, suffering, death and relationships, gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and the world (2).

Now we know, we can sometimes walk in some desert part and perhaps we can learn something from these teachings that walking through the desert has.

 (1) Throughout 5 pages, Juan Huarte de San Juan mentions and describes the 40 years that the Jews had to wander through the DESERT and comments that feeding with manna, the humidity of the desert and other things, caused in those generations of Jews a “mental strength” that made them more intelligent. I ask: Couldn’t those walks through the DESERT have been the most important factor that helped them develop their mental functions? (Posts THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING. PART I; THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE). “He who knows how to answer these two doubts will easily understand the reason why the descendants of the people of Israel have not yet lost the dispositions and accidents that the manna introduced into the seed, nor will they run out so quickly of the sharpness of ingenuity and sobriety that It came to them for this reason.” Chapter XII [XIV of 1594] of his book Ingenuity Test for Sciences.

There will always be a possibility in our lives of walking through a desert. Let’s remember that it can be beneficial due to the different things that we have pointed out. Let us not try to imitate the great characters we have mentioned.

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(2)Loya Lopátegu, Carlos, The Old Man and the Walk, EMULISA, México, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH7JHKX2

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Change of Pace

Starting this July—the beginning of our eighth year walking together—this blog will take another step forward: we will increase the frequency of our publications from two to three posts per month. This change does not respond to whim or a desire to fill time with words, but to a profound need imposed upon us by the context itself: the incessant acceleration of the world, driven by the vertigo of technology, by the increasingly intense rhythms of daily life, and by the multiple faces of what we have called Toxic Realism.

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This Toxic Realism—at once a phenomenon and a diagnosis—not only describes an era saturated with stimuli, contradictions, and automatisms, but also urgently points us to new forms of resistance, lucidity, and reconnection. Walking, as we have repeatedly maintained, is not just a physical exercise: it is a practice of slowing down, a way of thinking with the body, an act of silent freedom that opposes, step by step, the overwhelming flow of the immediate.

Therefore, adding one more post per month—always on the 7th—responds to a new rhythm that doesn’t subordinate us to chaos, but rather allows us to consciously accompany it. We need more moments of reflection, more stories on the go, more poetic and symbolic strategies to maintain balance in the face of this global acceleration that, if not addressed, can wipe us off the map of our own interiority.

Increasing the number of posts by 50% isn’t just a number: it’s a sign, a sign that this Blog raises like a torch that won’t give up. It’s a firm gesture on the path, like someone who decides to take a longer break to observe the world through different eyes, or someone who takes a detour to find a forgotten flower. May each monthly post—on the 1st, the 7th, and the 15th—be an act of lucid breathing in the face of vertigo. Walking is also publishing.

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Walking Separately from Death

Have you ever stopped to think about how absurd it is to keep walking? I’m not talking about that low-intensity activity doctors and wellness gurus tout as a panacea for a long and prosperous life. What a farce! I’m referring to the fundamental, almost instinctive, act of moving one leg after the other. Ever since the first hominid decided to stand upright and stumble with gravity, we’ve been on this incessant pilgrimage. Towards where, exactly?

My recently published book, “Program Your Death and Rebirth” (1), delves into those uncomfortable truths we prefer to sweep under the carpet of consciousness—those that ferment in the basement of our psyche until they reek of “toxic realism.” And, to be honest, is there anything more toxically real than the fact that every step we take is one step closer to the inevitable end?

Yes, I know, people walk for health, for pleasure, to explore, to escape their problems… How naive! We walk because we are designed for perpetual motion that inexorably drags us towards nothingness. It’s the cruelest cosmic joke of all: to be born with legs for a race with no finish line, only an abyss at the end.

Consider, for a moment, those hiking enthusiasts, with their backpacks full of energy bars and their gleaming sneakers. Do they not see the irony? They venture into the wild, seeking “connection” or “inner peace,” while every rock they dodge and every river they cross brings them closer to that final rest, the one where they’ll no longer need marked trails. How hilarious! It’s as if the universe is laughing out loud at our eagerness to prolong the march when our destiny is already sealed.

And let’s not talk about marathon runners. Ah, marathon runners! Those beings who, with an almost frenetic or pathological enthusiasm, inflict physical tortures upon themselves to prove… what? That they can postpone the inevitable with every blister on their foot? It’s the equivalent of building a sandcastle against a high tide; a noble effort, yes, but utterly useless. “Run for your life!” the signs scream. And one wonders, for what, if the final prize is immobility? Perhaps their true goal is to reach the finish line so exhausted that death finds them already half-dead. Now that would be a Pyrrhic victory if there ever was one.

The Great Paradox of the Step

The relationship between walking and death is as intrinsic as a pair of smelly socks to a teenager. Ever since we stood up, we’ve been dancing a macabre tango with destiny. In the melody of our ephemeral existence, every step is a beat, every kilometer, a verse; some prefer a slow, contemplative waltz, others, a rhythmic “paso doble” towards the void. In the end, we all end up dancing the same mournful piece.

Think of the elderly, with their walkers and their hesitant steps. They say they walk to “stay active,” to “delay deterioration.” Nonsense! It’s the last gasp of a machine that refuses to shut down, a pathetic resistance to the call from the beyond. Wouldn’t it be more dignified to simply sit and wait comfortably? But no, human stubbornness compels us to keep moving, even when every movement is a reminder of our fragility, and the imminent risk of a possible fracture that anticipates our fall into that void.

And what about or what to think of people who don’t want to walk? Are they wiser? Those who prefer the sofa, the car, the bed? We could argue that they have understood the ineffectuality of futile exercise. They have decided to shorten the path, to avoid the farce of effort. Perhaps they are the true visionaries, those who have anticipated the message of this book and have “programmed their death” with glorious inactivity. Why sweat if destiny is already written? Although we don’t know if by doing so they risk a high burden of self-blame that shortens their last stretch… to elude the rhythm of tempos.

Where are we limping, then?

First and foremost, a kind warning: The book “Program Your Death and Rebirth” is not a suicide manual, let that be very clear. This reading is an invitation “to die laughing” and thus ensure several more years of existence, but always walking. It’s an invitation to parody and uncomfortable laughter in the face of the inevitable. And the vital act of walking, that seemingly banal act, is one of existence’s greatest parodies. By confronting the multiple conditionings, programs, even new technological applications to lucratively increase longevity, and with it life expectancy, which does not encourage chasing a mirage. We move, we strive, we climb mountains and cross deserts, only to realize that the true destination is absolute immobility.

But what if that very futility is what keeps us going? What if the inherent sarcasm of walking towards the grave is what gives our ephemeral existence an absurd and delightful meaning? Perhaps, just perhaps, the act of walking is the ultimate act of rebellion, a slap in the face of death. “Here I am, damn it!” shouts every step, “Even if you take me, at least you’ll take me in motion!”

So, the next time you find yourself dragging your feet to the kitchen for a third slice of cake, or climbing a mountain to watch the sunrise, remember this: you are participating in the greatest parody of all. You are walking separately from death, but at the same time, hand in hand with it. It’s a tango, a waltz, a macabre dance that unites us all, from Olympic athletes to the wandering souls who haven’t yet found their way back to the ether.

Even souls, those floating around, could benefit from this. If only they could find a pair of borrowed legs, perhaps they would understand the joke. Perhaps they would even be encouraged to take a walk. After all, who says the dead can’t enjoy a good ironic stroll in the afterlife?

Walk seriously, ironically, however you decide; but walk every day.

(1) Loya Lopategui Carlos, Program Your Death and Rebirth, EMULISA, Mexico, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FGMFRD5P

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