He’s one of those early morning mall walkers.
Otis Lull figures that since 1989 he’s walked more than 23,000 miles through the halls of the Alderwood mall.
The 92-year-old widower may not be the oldest mall walker, and perhaps someone else has walked for more years, but Lull certainly is Alderwood’s oldest longtime mall walker.
A career Army veteran, Lull worked in property management and did other jobs before retiring at age 66 when he started walking at Alderwood.
When he walks in the hours before the mall opens, Lull greets dozens of people, fellow walkers and shopkeepers alike. For the privilege of walking there, he reports spills or other problems he sees.
Did you grow up here?
I was born July 4, 1923, in San Francisco. When I was 4, my family took a steamer up the coast to Seattle. We farmed near Woodinville and then moved back to Seattle where I graduated from the old Broadway High School.
Where did you serve during World War II?
Primarily in Alaska with the Army’s communications system, but also in Hawaii, Germany and then in Lynnwood, where I worked in cryptography at the former Northwest Relay and Radio Receiving Station run by the Army on the site of what is now Edmonds Community College.
You and your late first wife Betty had five children. How many grandchildren do you have?
I have 8 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and 9 great-greats. My family has been busy.
Did Dorothy, your late second, walk with you?
I like the consistent weather and the flat surfaces of the mall. She liked being outside. I teased her that she was a street walker.
Do you still walk the same amount you did at age 66 when you started walking the mall?
No. I started with 4 miles five or six days a week. At some point, I graduated to 3 miles and now I am down to 2 miles. It’s generally recognized that once around the mall — from the food court to Sears and down each ‘cul de sac’ to Penney’s and back to the food court — is a mile.
Is walking part of the reason for your longevity?
Oh, yes. My mother used to tell me, “They can’t bury you if you’re still moving.” I set my own pace and it’s pretty good. I also have a positive attitude and I am from a long line of long lives. A joke I like is, “The doctor told grandma to walk 3 miles a day. It’s been four months now and we don’t know where in the hell she is.”
What does your doctor say?
He’s happy. He knows I walk the mall. I have diabetes, but I don’t have to take insulin. I walk so I can have a little chocolate after my salad at lunch.
What are the other benefits?
Well, I get that natural high after I’m done. It’s a feeling of accomplishment and well-being, like I could set the world on fire.
Who are the other people who walk the mall?
Well, many are retired. It’s all ages, young moms with strollers, people with oxygen, walkers who then go to work. And they wear everything under the sun. Or not much of anything. Why do you think I come down here?
Do you always look this great when you walk? Do you ever wear a Fitbit or earbuds?
I try to look good. I wear Rockport pro walker shoes. I buy two pair at a time and rotate each day. That way the shoes last longer. But no Fitbit. No headphones. I listen to the mall music. I visit with my friends, I drink 50-cent cups of coffee from Auntie Anne’s and I might do a little shopping afterward.
Has the mall changed much since the 1980s?
Well Penney’s, Sears, Nordstrom, Ben Bridge Jewelers and the cutlery store are all still here, and of course the Bon Marche is now Macy’s. The store I miss the most is Bartell Drugs. I used to stop in there for a chocolate bar.
Beside your salad greens and chocolate, what’s something that’s always in your fridge?
Red or black grapes.
If you could share a meal with anyone from history, who would it be and why?
I think perhaps Mahatma Gandhi. He was such a peaceable person. He did not like war. I am not known as a talker, but I do like to listen, and I would like to know more about Gandhi.
Do you have other interests?
Travel. I’ve been to every state.
What’s your pet peeve?
I am even-tempered and I don’t have any enemies, but I don’t appreciate automated phone calls.
What is your greatest joy?
Reminiscing with my children. My health. I just like living. I like getting out of the house and coming down to the mall to see my friends. Walking starts the day off right.
Is there any day you won’t walk at the mall?
I never walk on Black Friday. Just too many people shopping.
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