Thursday, March 1, 2012

Walking Through the Fertile Land of Memory and Forgiveness

















"There are some good things to be said about walking. Walking takes longer, for example, than any other known form of locomotion except crawling. Thus it stretches time and prolongs life. Life is already too short to waste on speed. I have a friend who's always in a hurry; he never gets anywhere. Walking makes the world much bigger and thus more interesting. You have time to observe the details. The utopian technologists foresee a future for us in which distance is annihilated and anyone can transport himself anywhere, instantly. Big deal, Buckminster. To be everywhere at once is to be nowhere forever, if you ask me."
- Edward Abbey

Thanks to Whiskey River

Walking toward Bellingham Bay in Marine Park in Bellingham, Washington:






















("Walking Through the Fertile Land of Memory and Forgiveness," gouache and watercolor, by am, from the 1990s)

10 comments:

Taradharma said...

beautiful scene and title.

Walking also allows one to see the little things that you miss when zooming by in an automobile. A flower coming up, and handprint in the concrete (preferably with a date etched in), the face of your neighbors.

I would love to take a walking tour of England some day -- they sound marvelous.

Sabine said...

Oh, I really like that title!

The Solitary Walker said...

Absolutely love that Edward Abbey quote! Well, I guess you would have known that already.

Even though crawling 'stretches time and prolongs life' even more — it's so bad on the knees.

Unknown said...

This post makes me smile. Walking is one of my saving graces. It takes much longer, but I get so much more from it than with other forms of exercise . . . especially with a monkey-mouthed puggle trotting at my side. :)

am said...

Taradharma, Sabine, Solitary Walker, and Nicole --
Thanks so much for walking here with me.

Goat said...

Yes, you'd guess that Abbey quote is a favourite of mine as well.I can't think about Abbey without feeling cheated he died so young. Imagine, there are people still kicking around who had the pleasure of going on desert rambles with the man. What a privilege.

am said...

Goat -- It is startling for me to realize that Edward Abbey was only 62 when he died and that his peers in age are in their mid-80s today.

Now I'm thinking of Georgia O'Keeffe, who died a few years before Edward Abbey, and was another walker who thrived in the landscape of the American Southwest, who was still walking in that landscape when she was in her 80s, and lived until she was 99 years old.

Goat said...

Don't know her - will google post-haste!

bev said...

I've dropped by to read posts occasionally lately, but have been in a quiet mood and not leaving comments. Enjoyed seeing your older paintings - a reminder of what drew me to your blog what must have been quite some time ago.

Walking has always been a large part of my life. Don and I spent so much time out walking or snowshoeing on trails. In recent years, I've been feeling like setting out on a long walk - perhaps along the Trans Canada trail. Sabrina is far past being up to such a thing, but when she is gone, perhaps Sage and I will do a long walk somewhere. I once met a widow who, over three years, walked much of the length of South America and her only "souvenir" brought home to Canada was a shoebox of alpaca fleece. Fascinating woman.

am said...

bev -- Good to hear from you again, both here and on your blog. Wonderful idea about you and Sage and the Trans Canada Trail.