Judy and I both use iPhones.  We have an app that tracks our steps, distance and floors climbed.  It serves a supportive role in encouraging our physical activity. In practice, we have noticed some idiosyncrasies.  Judy’s stride is shorter, for example, so she takes more steps to cover the same distance.  Distances vary at least in part because our paths are not identical, but sometimes the differences seem more whimsical.  As for stairs, we can sometimes proceed hand in hand up and down exactly the same routes with significantly different tracking results.  One day recently she got credit for six flights while I received credit for only one. (Not fair!)

Nonetheless we are both increasingly fascinated with the data.   We grow more attracted to tracking and comparing our progress.  We aspire to average a 10,000 steps per day model, but have room to improve (although one day recently I did cover more than 14,000 steps, or a bit more than eight miles).  My current average is about 8,000 steps per day.

In a way, the eccentricities of the app parallel our own irregular behavior patterns.  As the I Ching says so often, “no blame.”