Did you know that the Queen really likes spearmint gum? It is her favourite. Sometimes the Queen has to make do with other flavors but spearmint is her favorite. She would not be very Queen-like if her citizens saw her chewing gum so she learned how to chew gum so that nobody knew. She never ever opened her mouth when she chewed. When she had to speak she would use her tongue to tuck her gum between her cheek and her gums. Of course, she couldn’t chew a big wad of gum. If she did, her cheek would bulge out and everybody would know she was chewing gum. When she chewed she would hardly move her jaw. Sometimes she would move her jaw from side to side rather than up and down. She would get every ounce of flavor from her gum and got to enjoy it all of her life and nobody ever knew!

“If you make noise you are not doing it right!”

Basically, that was his message. There were other things that made a big difference, but not making any noise was the first step. When he captured my interest with the "noise making thing" he progressed into the other things that made the essential difference in my sports life -- and now in my old age.

You won't need nearly as much energy if you learn to walk properly!

"Learn to point your toes straight in the direction you are walking -- and use them to propel you forward!" Most people no longer use their toes. They just flop on the end of their feet and tell you where their bodies end. They could replace their feet with stumps and never know the difference.
    "Grab the earth with your toes and use your toes to help your feet," he said.
    I learned to do this. In fact, when I sprinted I never let my heels touch the ground. I found that just using the balls of my feet and my toes I was amazingly fast. I do it to this day although I seldom run unless it is for a bus. I am over 70.
    Many children instinctively walk about on their tip toes. They are doing what comes naturally until, unfortunately, the parents get them into shoes that inhibit "toe walking".
    When I learned to use my toes, I got a big bonus because I used less energy getting to where I was going.

And, of course, you save a lot of money if you, and yours, walk properly.

Kids who drag their feet cost their parents money because dragging wears out the shoes long before the kids grow out of them.  Grandpa said that since kid's feet outgrew their shoes rapidly, you wouldn't have to buy new shoes for generations and generations if the kids learned to walk properly. Of course, we are also conditioned to the belief that wearing hand-me-downs is a sign of poverty.

Grown-ups who know how to walk properly also spend a lot less on their shoes because they never wear them out! I should point out that I never use artificial fibre socks or "plastic" shoes. Unfortunately, today it is extremely difficult to find shoes that are not made from plastics and held together with chemically created adhesives. I believe the time I spend is worth it, and besides, I don't have to do it very often.

Do your kids or your grandkids a favor. Teach them how to walk!