Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Concrete Jungle
Something was said in class today that really stood out to me; that there is whimsy in walking. I never thought about it before, but it strikes me as true. I never once have questioned the way I walk, but when I am in between classes I walk very quickly and with my head down (which is more to avoid ice than anything else). However, when I am not trying to get somewhere in a hurry I generally stroll. I never knew I did this, but I see why I do. When I am just walking along I try to take in everything, every sound and movement because I can. I find that I see parts of Edmonton I have never seen before when I allow myself to take it in. Whether it be the construction on campus, or new graffiti on the side of a building, it is always interesting to see how life is ever changing. I find I can drift through the streets and go unnoticed even by my friends if I so choose, which is nice when I am having an adventurous type of day and want to explore the world around me. I like walking down the street with my ipod on so that I can compare the beat of my music to the beat of the city, and more often than not it seems to mesh well. The best of any city though is when you can walk through a forested area and hear the trees rustle and the birds sing. Bringing nature and city life together like that, to me, shows how society can interact with nature if we give it a chance. It is nice to escape from the stresses of every day life and walk around the city whether it be in nature or walking down the street in our urban jungle.
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Emmy, I love your thought about the beat of the city, each city has it's own, doesn't it? I think Edmonton is more laid-back than other cities, but it is still more rushed than a smaller town.
ReplyDeleteAnd reading about the wind blowing through the leaves, it gives me a little thrill to think about being able to hear that again when I am outside, rather than the ice crunching underfoot. Luckily the birds stick around throughout the winter, so I can hear them year round. I know most people don't like magpies and perhaps find them to be a nuisance, but I quite like them and find them to be very social and intelligent birds. There is a grey and white one - a genetic oddity which can be looked up on the Royal Alberta Museum's website - that lives in my neighbourhood. I guess he is about 1 of 6 in the city, which makes me feel special to know him, so to speak. :)
Great post!
I also loved the way you described the beats you hear on your ipod to the beat of the the city. Edmonton's beat to me seems vibrantly rhythmic in some areas and persistently off-beat in others. To each their own, both are good depending on one's mood.
ReplyDeleteI think walking in itself is such an interesting action to analyze as it says so much about a person's mood, demeanor, schedule, etc. Maybe you can't judge a book by its cover, however I'll bet there is something to the study of walking that renders at least a partial truth in judgment.