The Art of Street Wandering
“Wandering aimlessly”. Its an interesting phrase, as I’ve always found wandering to inherently have purpose and value. One definition of “wander” is to walk or move in a leisurely, casual, or aimless way. So to say “wandering aimlessly” is either a tautology or a redundancy (or some other fancy english language rule that has faded long back into the days of school). “Aimless wandering”, according to Wikipedia, also refers to both “samsara” (the cycle of birth, death and rebirth), and a walking meditation that is a mindfulness practice of exploration without destination. In any event, I have an affinity to wandering, to explore for its own purpose, without knowing exactly where I’m going or what I’m going to see.
The best cities in the world enable wandering — from neighborhood to neighborhood, absorbing changes in culture, architecture and people, in relatively short succession. I find that street art, in all its forms, adds another element of inspiration and discovery. For that reason, some of my favorite cities in the world to wander with wonder include Toronto, Melbourne (Fitzroy), New York (Lower East Side), Buenos Aires (Palermo Veijo), Beijing (Deshanzi 798 District), and old city Panama.
Recently under crisp, clear skies, in weather that was cool yet held the promise of spring, with a softness of the late afternoon light of lengthening days, I wandered in Toronto. From “Graffiti Alley”, through the Fashion District (with a quick pop into @torontocollective on Spadina Avenue for some education by Shaun and Shane and inspiration by @youngjarus and @deadlymike Del Mundo), onto the Kensington bohemian district, past the Movember wall, and into the artistic goldmine of the back alleys off Ossington Avenue and Queen St West. Somehow, three hours passed by, and yet with a sense of more discovery to be made, I lamented the dying rays of light. Darkness and hunger took hold, so wandering aimlessly was replaced with searching with purpose to find fare that matched the artistic inspiration.
Aimless, I think not. Perhaps the phrase should be changed to “wandering purposefully”.
