I read through H. D. Thoreau's essay: "Walking" last night. This was published after his death, in 1862 in Harper's Magazine. Some of his best quotes are found within this essay, which was adapted from a set of traveling lectures he did in the 1850's.
H. D. walked four to five hours a day. Anything less than that was hardly worth it (he said).
Nature writers (and Thoreau nearly created the genre--something he learned from his buddy: Ralph Waldo(n) Emerson) are walkers. Mile after mile, year after year, the Enviro Writers ambulate. They look for inspiration. They get inspiration. And they participate as Walkers in our World.
They know the secret. They know you really cannot get to know the world around you unless you walk through it.
So be like Waldo (where is he?), H. D. Thoreau, Eddy Abbey and Gary Snyder. Get out there and walk through your neighborhood, field, thicket, trail, travail, wood, pond...and get out there quick! Before it is gone. Or changed. Or paved over.
2 comments:
This seems a good place to mention a fairly new book--The Lost Art of Walking by Geoff Nicholson. Getting very mixed reviews but I think it looks interesting and am in line to get it from the library.
When I'm in Napa this weekend I will try and pick this one up. I'm looking for books on walking. Writers that walk. Except Stephen King...poor guy got run over while walking his dog.
Anyway, thanks for the suggestion! They are always welcome...
Post a Comment