the road to nowhere

I often encounter posters for lectures that have already taken place and wonder why did I not come across or notice them before the event. One recent example was a poster for a series of lectures by Professor Stephen Prothero of Boston University, on the topic of Wandering as Practice and Play. Perhaps I noticed the poster in response to my heightened sensitivity to the issue of wandering, as I had been exploring this as a theme for my final essay for the Maxpak site.

Wandering as practice and play, to me means a way of experiencing or allowing yourself to be open to experiences of the unknown or unexpected. It means a way of seeing that is not tied to the prescribed or preconceived–noticing detail(sights, sounds, smells, textures), relationships, subtlety, changes. It means a way of feeling that evokes memory–of the past histories of the place, of past personal experiences.

My current life feels lacking in this essential practice. When I lived in New York I often found myself, intentionally and not, on walkabouts in the city. Maybe it was an inevitable function of the place, as in order to get from here to there one must encounter many layers of experience in between. Maybe it was the ease and accessibility afforded by the dense urban environment, the dependence on public transportation and pedestrian lifestyle. Maybe it was a desire to seek out and discover new experiences, neighborhoods, foods, cultures. Maybe it was just that, at that time, I was more open and receptive to the experiences. I often used photography as a mode for inquiry which I think made me pay closer attention to the details of my daily life. I need to cultivate a practice of wandering in my new city. My experiences in Anne's class have brought me back in touch with these feelings.