Peace and Quiet
I have been listening to Walden by Henry David Thoreau for free on Libravox before bed every night for about two weeks now. Last night it finally passed chapter 1.
I love the metaphor for this slow movement that is taking place with me getting through this audiobook.
Chapter 2 begins with Henry’s exploration of the terrain and how he came to find the pond where he will spend the year. After a deal to buy a farm falls through, he just squats down near a pond that is similar to what we know today as backcountry camping.
He relates the spiritual ecstasy that came to him immediately after moving to Walden. He was so content, so totally happy while enjoying the ripeness of summer and the songs of various birds that he came to see his new residence as no longer a simple hut but as a "new and unprofaned part of the universe." To some, it might have seemed a poor excuse for a house, but to the inspired narrator it had a divine character. - Cliffnotes
Thoreau’s building of a house on Walden Pond is, for him, a miniature re-enactment of God’s creation of the world. He describes its placement in the cosmos, in a region viewed by the astronomers, just as God created a world within the void of space. He says outright that he resides in his home as if on Mount Olympus, home of the gods. He claims a divine freedom from the flow of time, describing himself as fishing in its river. Thoreau’s point in all this divine talk is not to inflate his own personality to godlike heights but rather to insist on everyone’s divine ability to create a world. - Sparknotes
You don’t have to read this book to relate to the author’s vision. He wants to be free from the rat race that society places on us. And he does it by teaching himself how to be self-reliant in every aspect of life during this experiment.
While there is some debate about what is even true in this book, I leave you with the image of simply being immersed in nature and free from our devices for a bit.
And the only way to do it is by simply getting yourself to the nearest park and going for a long walk.
Three Ideas from My Notebooks
When you don’t feel like doing something important, feel the tensions rise up and let it remind you that you are greater than this fear.
To help declutter items around the home, implement a rule like, “If the item isn’t being used in the next ten minutes, stow it away back to its place”.
Before sitting down to work on a task, spend a few minutes coming up with a plan of attack which will pay off in getting it done faster.
All of the ideas going back to May 2023 are now located in The Ideas Index:
Listen to Arcadia
I file this track under my style of “world-building” music. They are soundscapes that don’t conform to the traditional format of music. You sit with it like being in a warm bath.
This track is now available on streaming for you to enjoy.
or listen on Apple Music or Amazon Prime.
Thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of your Family Day long weekend if you are here in Canada.
See you next week,
Elliott