19th Century American Lit. Journal: Walking & Sauntering

Emerson opens his work "Walking" with the statement "I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil-- to regard man as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society." Wow! First reading this really makes for a monumental impression. Living where I do, Bozeman Montana, I really feel like I'm ingrained in the whole "nature" scene. Most people seem to regard MSU as a school founded on the

principals of nature-- hence the slogan "Mountains and Minds". However, when I really reflect on the perceptions of what "nature" Emerson is talking about I realize that perhaps we people in Bozeman are just as far from it as those in New Jersey. With our Rock Climbing, down hill ski lifts, ATV's, we aren't walking through nature-- we're flying through it at an extreme pace.

I searched the first memorable line and came up with this link about a hotel review for Yellowstone Park. Further on down on the page of the person that has supposedly I don't really know how to feel about this. If anything, because of Yellowstone's mass tourism and various developments I would say that "the word" this person is speaking supposedly "for nature" is actually a death sentence. Promoting the tourist conditions for the park encourages more and more traffic making it less and less wild. I believe that Emerson would scoff at peoples understanding of YNP as "wild". Personally I do not know if I can really think of a place with as much of an interesting wild/tame dichotomy as YNP.

Further on in the essay Emerson really gets into what he considers the "art of walking". At first, this phrase seems slightly stale and in contradiction of itself. How can walking be an art? As I read further I begin to be illuminated. As he wrote I could really feel what he was trying to convey. His essay itself is the perfect description of his interpretation of walking. One only has to go as far as the feeling of the essay to understand it's point and grasp the feel of one who is an excellent and practiced walker.

Having read this piece about walking I have tried to become a better saunterist. As I get out of class, instead of proceeding with my normal rapidity I saunter around the campus mall. I go for a quick stroll through some of the grass. I look at the posters on the boards. I walk all over, at a slow-pace. This summer I got into road biking a little bit. I rode all over the surrounding area, at a pace comfortable to me. It wasn't too fast but it was faster than walking. It calmed my mind. I hope that Emerson would approve even though he probably wouldn't. It just seems like it would be too quick for him. I believe that he and I do have a feeling in common though-- practicing the saunter is a way of calming the mind and practicing being more in tune with oneself.