(page 35, TIME issue March 17, 2008)
Rockport
We moved to Rockport, Pennsylvania in 1987 and Lehigh Gorge State Park was our backyard. It is a picturesque Pocono postcard scene around every corner and I am thankful to have experienced living there. This picture not only shows the natural beauty that surroundsthat area, but also represents the countless hikes and adventures my brother and I experienced over the years. I'm pretty sure that all of my friends/family that have visited me in Rockport have been on one of these infamous hikes. I'll never forget the time I went to the lookout by the big waterfall and saw a bald eagle soaring below along the Lehigh River--it's wingspan seemed to spread the entire width of the river. I cannot describe how cool it was seeing these incredible views as a youngster for the first time. I felt like Lewis and Clark discovering new territory.
The Holy River
These feet belong to myself, Neena, and Megan--in the Ganges River, India 2001. According to www.sacredland.org "Winding 1,560 miles across northern India, from the Himalaya Mountainsto the Indian Ocean, the Ganges River is not a sacred place: it is a sacred entity. Known as Ganga Ma-Mother Ganges-the river is revered as a goddess whose purity cleanses the sins of the faithful and aids the dead on their path toward heaven." Needless to say, I thought this was a decent spot to spread some of my Uncle Paul's ashes. Unfortunately, the experience was chaotic and left me unfulfilled. The city (I think it was Haridwar) was not how you picture a city that borders a holy river--maybe it was the overcast weather or the extreme poverty or all of the lepers. When it came time to deposit the ashes, there was a brief ceremony that was difficult for me to connect with because I did not know a lot about Hindu theology. I also felt like the time I had to say a few silent prayers and relive some memories was rushed and I felt like everyone was watching me. It was weird. But, I do think that my Uncle Paul is cool with it even though it didn't go exactly as I hoped.
walking tales
hi xav...
nice website...i love walking, here are a few random thoughts about walking, i have a lot, because a good portion of my life thus far has been devoted to walking. not sure if this is what you are looking for here but hear you go...
a friend of mine Gillian, is an avid walker, she collects and saves all the money she ever finds while walking (pennies, pesos, dolla bills) and on new years, (wait i think it is on new years...but it could be on a different day) she gives all the money to someone in her life ... a different person each year
walking is my only refuge from myself and the world, on days when i despise everything about being human...every apple, every smell, every chair and shoe...i walk...really far, breathing in with every bit of me and walking
the friendly man in the coffee shop calls me -the walker- when he sees me, (it started because he would see me walking by his house early every morning on his way to work) it has spun us into many conversations, he can't walk, not like i can, for him, each step is a struggle. Everytime i leave that place (except when carrying tea), i run all the way back to work so grateful that i can walk...ahhh
we walk with our feet...feet are freakin awesome...babies still have monkey feet made for climbing..what if we walked on our hands and shook feet...
sometimes while walking a person gets the urge to go the bathroom..on a long walk, this can cause discomfort...while living in a place with trees and fields, it is not really an issue, however in cities it complete sucks, especially if you are a women with a long commute. while in seattle, i thought about putting together a map of public restrooms in the city (i was new and had a really long commute)...and never did but have since heard of a book...the bathroom dairies... that does just that, also i am pretty sure that there are some googlemaps mapping public restrooms too...anyway...
hope all is well and you and mol are making it through the crazy winter...chicago style
hey speaking of crazy winter and walking...you know what is really nice...when you are walking on a city street and it is so cold and windy, and you really think that your legs might fall off before you reach your destination...and then...you cross the street...and it's sunny...
take care...
megan
long strange trip it was
I took a trip across the country back in 1977 with a high school mate. We went on many, many, hikes during our 2 month stint. Here's me in Maryland in the beginning of our trip and then later in Arizona near the end of our trip. Lots and lots of thoughts swimming around in my head back then, oh boy.
clear sky
Yesterday when I went for my 5:30am walk with Angus (my dog) the sky was so clear. There were so many stars showing. I could pick out the big dipper and the little dipper and the belt of Orien (spelling), but that was it. So I thought what I really need to do is the next time I am at Borders or B&N I should pick up a celestial book so I can be more familiar with the different constellations. Then one day when I am a grandmother I can teach my grandkids to be able to find and locate tons of different mythological characters. Not just the normal ones, but the really hard ones.
animals
Today, when I went for my 5:30 walk with Angus, the moon seemed to be almost full. It was very windy, clear, and cold. So as I was looking at the moon I started remembering how people act different during a full moon and then I started thinking that of course animals would too. So I was wondering how many cats were watching me and Angus in their hiding spaces and then I was wondering how many other animals might be watching us as we were walking through the neighborhood (it's pretty wooded). I bet there were opossums, skunks, (I smelled one the other night) raccoons, squirrels, maybe deer, some birds, I don't know what else.
Faith Walk
For the past few weeks I have been trying to make an effort of practicing walking with my eyes closed. Why? I am having some difficulty articulating why I actually want to attempt getting any better at this. For some reason I am not quite certain it is a useless skill. Part of me is always feeling the need to prepare for the end, which may explain why I said practicing before and how it could be a skill. Although, this other part of me wants to indulge that almighty question of why. Like if my eyes are closed and I loose one of my senses I might gain some perspective. I do think we are at an ever increasing period in this heavily saturated visual culture, but I wonder if sight deprivation is of any use. I have said before that I have been practicing this for a little and the one reason that seems to urge me to "give a go" time and again is that I feel a little better in some abstract way. Well, what does better mean? I feel silly, embarrassed, exposed, performative, and a little bit like a spectacle. A feeling of frustration because I barely make it past 30 seconds before I usually stumble and break the escape, illusion, or reward of control. Yet, a goofy smile usually surfaces afterward. I enjoy entertaining the idea of acquiring some level of control, but love my loss of placement. Maybe this sort of exercise keeps me in the moment of fumbling ambiguity, like composing randomness. I highly doubt enlightenment, or a better understanding of being in the world, or the chance of wielding this into any practical function for survival, BUT spending 4 to 5 minutes with my eyes closed, walking the length of the block I live on at 5:30 am did provide something I was unprepared for... .. .
"GO CUBS"
Towards the end of the baseball season, (specifically for the Cubs) I found this homage to that historic ball club. The flag was facing Lake Michigan and there is a tiny sign that reads GO CUBS. I am no sports fan, but I do really enjoy the idea of the pass-time, especially an "all american" one. And what I think I really enjoy is the fact that this piece seems to have not been contrived, but was designed while passing time. (I base this off of the little doggie prints in the sand.) There was no mission planned, no preparation, no materials, no real presence or concern for structural integrity, just time. This fan seemed to have mirrored the hopeful and enduring pride of this great ball club by casually constructing this sad intervention. My hat goes off to you.
Moments in Collection
East Monroe Street,
between Wabash Ave. and Michigan Ave.
Feet in transit heading North West on the L.
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