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... .. .
ETYMOLOGY OF PERAMBULARE
Originally the Latin perambulatus, a past participle of perambulare, came from per- through and ambulare- to walk in 1568.
Now, we use the word perambulate, which means to walk or travel through or around an area, especially for pleasure or in a leisurely way. Perambulare has also been known for distinguishing what historical walks are by officially asserting and recording boundaries.
*HOW TO SHARE:
walks, walks you desire, experiences that happened to others that walked, things that happened while you avoided walking, where your mind goes while you walk, and what you learned through a walk will be posted usually same day.
*E MAIL:
title/text and attach all images/audio/video supplements to eckspace@gmail.com