Mariachis and Peripatetic Meetings: Huh?

The morning was a beautiful one. We had just finished Running Medicine and I took a swig of water and began the 6-mile trek toward home. On foot, of course.

About halfway there, I caught up with Tim, a member of the Running Medicine community. I had talked with his wife earlier in the day and was told that Tim was a trumpeter in a mariachi group. I was thinking of new excitement we might bring to our Thanksgiving Day Gratitude Run/Walk/Bike, and having the sound of a mariachi band playing as we start and serenading us as we start and finish seemed perfect.

So, poor Tim who was enjoying the solace of running in our Bosque alongside the Rio Grande River now was pulled into a meeting. Meeting agenda: me begging him and the band play for us on Thanksgiving. Neither of us broke stride or slowed down – this was simply incorporated into the run. It was a peripatetic meeting, one done while moving.

Tim's group, Mariachis Amigos de Nuevo Mexico. I think Tim is 2nd to the right - I only know him in running clothes, so hard for me to tell.

As I came into the house after the run, I announced that both my run home and my meeting had gone well. Kids and wife served up confused looks.

The term peripatetic is a transliteration of the ancient Greek word περιπατητικός (peripatētikós), which means "of walking" or "given to walking about". The Peripatetic school was founded by Aristotle, stemming from Aristotle's alleged habit of walking while lecturing.

I hold 3-4 of my meetings each week in a peripatetic fashion. Most as walking meetings, with my favorite “office” being the trail around our UNM North Campus golf course. I find that there is a connection built in the movement itself that is unique, something that doesn’t happen in a sit-down meeting. I also find that there is a creativity that happens with movement meetings. If I want to brainstorm ideas with someone, the chance that we will hit on something great over a walk/run is far greater than over coffee.

One of my favorite peripatetic meeting colleagues is the Navajo Nation President, Jonathan Nez. He is someone who has gone from a sedentary 300 lb leader to a slim ultra-marathoner. He knows the power of movement. Well, when President Nez and me set up a meeting, it is assumed it is going to be 5-6 miles along one of our local trails. I come to the trail with a full agenda, just as I would if I were meeting him in a board room. We discuss collaboration in our mutual interest of getting people more physically active, intermixed with family updates, upcoming races, and looking at our watches for updates on our pace and miles covered. Unlike all of the other people who leave meetings with President Nez in a sweat, I have a decent excuse for the dripping wet shirt.

When possible, I will even teach a peripatetic class, getting them to move with me. One memorable one was a physical therapy class that happened to occur during a snowstorm. My thought as I entered the classroom? “How am I going to convince these students to move with me, outside in the snow?” A few minutes later…well, the pic below tells you what you need to know.

Have fun exploring the possibilities of peripatetic meetings yourself. At work and at home. Try it in low doses initially and titrate up as needed. Celebrate your movement together as an immediate, measurable outcome of the meeting. “Meeting recap: we talked through the health fair logistics and budget…and got 2,200 steps.” Look out for the connection and creativity that come from this approach, whether meeting a friend, neighbor or a work colleague.

And if you are in Albuquerque on Thanksgiving, come be peripatetic with us at the Gratitude Run/Walk/Bike.

Thanks to my meeting with Tim, there will be mariachis.