It’s time to learn to walk again

Walking is one of those big early milestones in life. When you're a kid, you have to walk before you can run. As you get older, walking is how we move through the world from task to task each day. Walking to work. Walking to the kitchen. Walking to bed.

Walking is such an important part of our lives that sometimes we take walking for granted. Until it's taken away. 

I am learning to walk again after having right ankle replacement surgery in October. When the doctor gave me the greenlight to put all my weight on my foot, I was a little apprehensive at first. Once I realized my foot wasn't going to fall off, I got comfortable putting weight on it. It was really heavy and stiff and sore. I hadn't used my ankle or foot in six weeks, and before the surgery, I didn't walk right. Which compounded the problems. 

Now, I felt like a baby taking my first steps again. I had documented all three of our kids taking their first steps, cheering them on with wife. This time, my wife and kids (ages 14, 10 and 7) were cheering me on. You can do it. Yay, Dad. You did it. 

Well, not exactly. That’s how it might be in the Hollywood version. The real-life version was variations of indifference, rolled eyes and disinterest. And me clapping for myself. If you can’t cheer for yourself, who can you cheer for?

My first walk outside our house was a public safety walk in our Lowry Hill East neighborhood. Like many neighborhoods in Minneapolis, we have had some issues. Gunshots, armed robberies, squatters, car thefts, speeding vehicles. Instead of doing nothing, a neighbor, Dave Whorton, has taken action with a block club to raise awareness of the issues and help come up with solutions in our neighborhood. 

Dave has shared video of crimes with residents, the Minneapolis Police Department and city leaders. He has contacted the mayor's office, city council members and community stakeholders. He even did a sitdown TV interview with Reg Chapman from WCCO.

On this night, Dave organized a safety walk through with MPD Inspector Katie Blackwell from the 5th Precinct, Lt. Chuck McCree, crime prevention specialist Jennifer Waisanen and community members. New MPD Police Chief Brian O'Hara and Ward 10 City Councilmember Aisha Chughtai also participated. The goal of a walk through (which any neighborhood can request) is to build stronger relationships with the MPD, learn custom safety tips for your neighborhood and uncover specific issues that need to be addressed to create a safer environment. 

I went on crutches, a day after a snowstorm. I thought it was important to be there. About 35-40 other neighbors agreed, and we walked around the block together. It was a tremendous turnout and great to see friends and neighbors, old and new, from our neighborhood. 

Inspector Blackwell and all of MPD's observations will help us create an action plan. We got to know Lt. McCree, who could retire but remains on duty to serve our community because MPD is understaffed. Jennifer Waisanen talked about practical, preventative steps we can take to build community and make communities safer and stronger, such as adding more streetlights and creating more active block clubs. She also told me about other communities in Minneapolis doing similar work.

The next day, I followed up with Jennifer and got more information about block clubs in our neighborhood and how we can expand them. I had a great meeting with Councilmember Chughtai to discuss our community and how we can work together with city stakeholders to solve community issues. 

Once we connect our community to solve community issues, we can connect with other neighborhoods that are doing similar work and train others that need guidance. Once we connect our community with other communities in Minneapolis, we can create a connected city that works together to cultivate confidence and solve problems. 

Every community is unique. But here in Minneapolis, every community shares a common bond. After the pandemic and civil unrest, the whole city is relearning how to function as a well-functioning community. In this sense, we are all learning to walk again.

We need to put aside all our differences and work together to nurture the healthy development of all our communities. We need to be a part of solutions.

I'm off crutches and walking a little bit better every day.

If you want to make things better, don't throw up your hands. Roll up your sleeves. It's time to rally our residents and institutions, schools, families and neighborhoods to solve community problems.

The first steps are the hardest. We are on the right path. When everyone walks together, we will be off to the races.

Eric Ortiz lives in the Wedge with his family. When he’s not community building, he’s the director of media for Big Edition and writes bilingual children’s books with his kids. Their first book, “How the Zookalex Saved the Village,” is available in English and Spanish.