(Walking is the best way to learn places, to understand one's environment, and to see the world anew. Whenever possible abandon your gas-guzzler and directly experience/engage your environment.)
On street safari
by Nicola Baird
Open Democracy (2001)
A mother who takes her small children around their north London streets to walk, shop, play, smell, imagine and interact describes their endlessly various explorations. In an environment dominated by cars and speed, does this represent a different way not just of moving, but of being?
...
I walk the streets because walking guarantees surprising pleasures. For me this may be the bloom of the first rose of summer – or indeed the last – and for my eldest daughter it will be an array of urban treasures from bottle tops to heart-shaped leaves. Meanwhile the baby looks on, eyes wide open, riding her chariot into the wind. How different her world views would be if she was marooned in a baby car seat, a metre or two’s mirror vision from her mum.
Link to the Entire Essay
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