Walking, Lists, and the City
Walking Journal 1
I started my walk from the Library and walked along Fullerton Avenue. At 3:20pm I was greeted with sounds of construction from the gas station along with a wave of students walking back home from class. As I was walking, I found myself focusing on the nature around me. All of the trees were tinted orange, once bloomed flowers were beginning to decay on the sides of the fence, and fallen leaves covered the sidewalk. At 3:30, I crossed the street onto Sheffield and was stopped by a very fancy car pulling into the DePaul Welcome Center. Next, I walked down a quiet and peaceful neighborhood as there were no other walkers; just me and one other woman. She was ahead of me carrying a rug and a home depot box. But other than that, the sidewalk was empty and all I could hear was the wind traveling through the trees and frequent cars passing by. Then I turned onto Seminary avenue and passed by two dogs and owners introducing themselves to each other. I admired all of the apartment/townhouses down this street for a while. They were all made out of brick with gorgeous, big windows and they were all unique from one another. Next I turned back onto Sheffield and began walking back to my dorm. At 3:45 I passed by more students, more dogs, and two women who seemed to be reuniting with each other. They threw their bags down and ran to hug each other. Lastly I made it to the Munroe doors and ended my walk at 3:55.
In “The Solitary Stroller and the City,” Rebecca Solnit writes, “Cities are forever spawning lists” (p. 202). Why do walking, lists, and cities seem to go together?
Walking can surprise you; you may take the same path everyday and believe you know it like the back of your hand, yet there are thousands of things you have missed. A familiar path can transform into a brand new one once you open your eyes to the things you subconsciously ignore. In Solnits novel, she discusses the many different types of people, places, and things she encounters from her walks. She has so much knowledge about everything she passes by, yet she still does not know everything about the city. Especially in the city, everything is changing rapidly, and there is always something new to explore. Taking the same route to work everyday could seem boring, yet you haven’t payed mind to the new restaurant that just opened up or the new bed of flowers that was planted. We can measure this change by making lists. Craft lists of the things that you see on each walk and it will reveal how the city throws opportunities at you. We often times take our lives for granted, yet writing a simple list can show you how much beauty, art, and life surrounds you. (197)
