(See below for Part 1)
I don't know about vision or sound or language. The hardest part of this assignment for me was just trying to get out of my own head and observe the world around me. I've been taking a lot of walks lately, not so much to enjoy nature, though that's a bonus, but to get away from home. I feel a lot of frustration and so the silence out there helps me become more settled inside. But it generally takes the entire walk before the inner rant subsides.
How relaxed Cardiff sounds, letting her mind wander this way and that, letting sights and sounds take her from one moment to the next--present to past, day to night. How surprised I was to know that she actually took the time to edit in sneezes so that her art more easily speaks to us, drags us in, makes us believe in her--it all sounded so natural.
How enraptured is Emerson, with his disembodied eyes, becoming one with nature. For him, it's all about beauty and communion. He says, "The health of the eye seems to demand a horizon" (14).
But for me...gah! It's all just a blur. Neither sights nor sounds really stick. The health of the mind demands a reprieve from both, so I'm halfway home again before I even start to really see or hear. And then...and then it kind of hits me. The absence of sound, the expanded horizon. Suddenly, I remember once again that there's something in this world beyond me and my petty little resentments. Emerson has an explanation for this one perhaps: "To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone" (14). He says it's the sight of nature in all her beauty. I don't know. For me, I think it's just a matter of being alone with my dog and simply getting out of my apartment, feeling the wind and smelling the open air.
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i'm glad that you've figured out a way to be by yourself, and that way is through a walk. both good for you and gives you some time to just be...away. i always say that i hate living by myself, that i miss roommates, the noise of people, but maybe i have it wrong. maybe it is this life, living alone, being isolated, having peace and quiet and solitude, that is important. maybe just a balance is all you need.
anyway, we've talked before about your need to get away - how you wish for just a few moments by youself, so that is why i was so happy to read about your walks. it seems kind of boring, to read about other people walking, but with this, i was happy the whole time!
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