A Thousand Miles
I have spent a lot of time lately, walking. I used to know a guy in Japan who would walk for miles and miles, just wandering, and I always wondered how he did it. How can someone not bore themselves to death just walking around the city for hours on end? He would come back from his walks and tell us how beautiful the cherry blossoms were in a certain part of town he had discovered or what kinds of shadows the sun makes on the hills as the sun sets. In Japan, I remember thinking, what a bore nature is. I wanted to be able to appreciate nature so badly, but I couldn’t find the time; I didn’t care to find the time to slow down.
So I’ve been slowing down here and walking from place to place, almost an hour each way. As of now, I am still consumed by the following three thoughts: “Holy bejeezus, this walk is taking forever,” “My feet hurt,” and “Am I there yet?” It’s just another example of how I am so stuck on the end result, on crossing things off of my to-do list, that I don’t know how to just walk anymore.
I’m not willing to leave things unorganized. I’m not ready to just let things be. As I walk, I realize how many houses are left unfinished. In Vancouver, I see unfinished buildings and the rush to finish construction, the rush to complete the perfection that the city is to be by the time the Olympics arrive in 2010. In Huancayo, I see unfinished buildings… as unfinished buildings. That’s just the way they are, sometimes for months or years as the family struggles to earn more money, sometimes forever.
And it makes me think of the thirty houses I’ve visited in and around the city of different types of families – different structure, different situations, different economic levels. But I’ve found that the majority of families live in houses that I would consider messy or dirty. To them, it’s okay that there are a million utensils in the kitchen out of place or forever without a place, it’s okay that all their mugs are cracked or chipped in some way, it’s okay that there are irremovable stains everywhere – in the tiles of the floor, in the cabinets, the dressers, the stove, the walls. It’s okay that their closet is actually a shelf with a blanket over top, tilted a bit and never perfectly covering the entire shelf. It’s okay if there are a million projects in-progress that may never be finished. It is a situation that would normally make me go insane, but I am learning to relax.
Tags: acceptance, patience, walking
reyjones
As an avid walker I commend you; it helps to instill patience and fortitude, similar to "the moment of zen." This works for me: Take a camera. Pick a start point, for variety, it should be different 8 out of 10 times. Know where you are and where you would like to be if you want to get back home quickly. Start walking in any direction. The end point is not important, its the adventure on the way to the end point. Take your time and make mental notes of the changing scenery, the changing lights and its hue, temperature, the activities, people and animals you encounter. Take pictures of notable moments. When you get home,you probably would be tired but mentally review your day. You will find that it will be a cathartic experience. Sleep on it. Wait a day or two before reviewing the pictures that you took. Your adventures will take on a whole new meaning to you.P.S.: Have a Happy Birthday.
Stash
Sam, just want to let you know that I've been reading some of your entries and I'm often mesmerized by how you're using your experience as a magnifying glass for some deep insights on life.It makes me think, and anything that sparks some sort of curious pondering is extremely admirable. I often find that walking is difficult because it's one of the times that we are alone with our own thoughts. "My feet hurt" and "when will this end" are distractions from the semi-existential flood of more profound and uncomfortable realizations. So it used to be for me at least. I guess the task and the challenge is to be comfortable with silence. Now I use walking/running/whatever as a springboard for some of my more profound thoughts (if I can even take that leap and call my thoughts profound haha). Walking without a goal or a destination is a strange and alien sort of thing. Hopefully some epiphanies await you on your strolls.Hope you're doing well, and Happy Birthday!
Naoki
Hola Sam, there are many things I can relate to you! Having lived in one of the biggest and busiest societies in the world enabled me to have an access to state-of-the-art technology, great knowledge and various types of awesome people. But at the same time, I felt as if living in those places had deprived me of the chances to slow down and look back on what I did in the past. I was just running on the rail that was laid by the society without asking any questions whether this is what I want. One day I realized that I became fed up with the hustle and bustle of the city, and became sick of being a hard-worker as if I were born to be. So now, I am in the edge of the US where people walk slowly and ponder their lives, taking a lot of time. Through the life here I am coming to realize what direction I should step forward, what philosophy I should have, who I am, where I am from, etc… So slow down and take your time whenever you can! I hope your experience in Peru will be a turning point of your life in a good sense as I am doing!Happy Birthday, amiga!