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Charlotte Freeman's avatar

Because of construction I've had to walk in town more this spring, and after 3 years of being freaked out by OTHER PEOPLE, it's nice to return to the small pleasantries of running into people on the trail. There's an older guy, who like me has some creaky joints, and we had a nice long chat the other day about the eagle's nest and our concern about the ditch work and was it going to endanger their tree. There are people I see but just nod to, and I keep running into my friend Debbie, and it's been lovely to have a chance to catch up. Even Hank-dog, who can be aggressive, is getting better about passing other dogs. I can really see my mental health deteriorate when I can't get a walk, and a nice quite place by some running water to say the Heart Sutra every morning.

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Mike Sowden's avatar

>>"And I remembered that’s why I never built a good meditation practice or went to therapy. Because I had writing and music and walking and they have always been enough."

Funny you should say that about music. That's going to be the focus of a future season of my newsletter. Well, I guess I know what we're talking about when I have the honour of interviewing you!

Also, a thing I have learned from many super-musical friends is: when someone tells you how good they are as a musician, it's information that's less than useless - either they're FANTASTIC and they're self-deprecating with the same pressure they've exerted on their skill to make it shine, or they're SUPER-AWFUL and the bottom end of the Dunning-Kruger graph is making an all-singing, all-dancing appearance. So, I'm taking your protestations of not being good at the harp with exactly the right pinch of salt.

>>"Walking never gives answers, I say to people often; but it is always *an* answer."

This has been bouncing round my head for the last few days. It feels like a ruckus in there. A really good and important one...

Hmm.

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