Woman walking through an exotic forest, 1905
Source: https://www.wikiart.org/
I have to pay close attention.
Otherwise, I’d get lost on these new paths.
I’m in the process of exploring. Each day I go a little further.
My daily walk now takes place in a real forest, where landmarks are nonexistent. There are only giant pines and a labyrinth of dirt trails.
Every now and then a map appears, but honestly, I have no idea where I am.
As I said at the beginning, I must be very attentive, but the problem is that there are many distractions.
The aromas of the forest, a little white butterfly flitting from flower to flower;
grasshoppers and dragonflies.
Suddenly, a breeze blows, and tiny specks float in the air, making the landscape truly magical.
Finally, I realize I have to turn where the fallen tree is. But a few meters further on, there are other branches that look like modernist sculptures.
I manage to find my way again amidst the wisps of light filtering through the pines.
Paying attention is relative, because I think my distractions are perhaps more important than the path itself, and I find delight in these small details. I conclude that being a little disoriented is actually an advantage.
I arrive home with that feeling so aptly described by that American naturalist:
“I went for a walk in the woods and came back higher than the trees”.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
