My Personal Walden Revisited

I first heard this Thoreau passage "I went to the woods..."when my father read it to me as a bedtime story almost fifty years ago. I can clearly remember this passage from a time in my life when I was 5 or 6. I also remember him patiently explaining the ideas behind the words and discussing it at length with me many times in my childhood. Over the years, he read many classical books to me including that specific Thoreau passage.

I treasured those moments with my father. I can still hear my father's voice reciting many different passages from his classic books to me. He would read Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith" and while he talked I saw in my mind the wide branches of the chestnut tree and the man's muscles bulging.And on another evening, my father recited "Life in the Woods" and I thought about living life for the real experience of what it could teach me and then hearing my father's voice continue with "I did not wish to live what was not life..."thinking it would be a shame to not live fully. Another time, I clearly remember my father smiling as he read Whitman's "Song of the Open Road" about the long path leading to where I could choose to go if I choose to. Another bedtime, I can recall my father's voice describing the art of sauntering from Thoreau's "Walking". I found myself thinking about how not to repeat my initial steps and still get back home.

I was privileged to enjoy many moments of fine classical music, good literature and being included in numerous adult discussions on diverse points of view while growing up. I can remember as a child borrowing and reading many of his books and preferring them to watching Howdy Dowdy or Laurence Welk on TV. I can remember times spent sitting and reading those books as the light dimmed in our living room. There were grand worlds in my father's books; some made by the authors and some created by me from the imagery I pictured in my mind. My solemn stillness while reading was something which always puzzled my mother. It was easy to be still when worlds from these books were inside my mind.

All this greatly influenced me as I grew up. It changed my way of thinking and seeing, I wanted to get the most from life by identifying and then experiencing what was important to me. I wanted to pursue living in harmony with nature. That passage"I went to the woods..." and many others made me wish to experience a different life. Other people have felt as I did; Rockford Toews also picked another way in his life because of the inspiration he received from this Thoreau passage.

So I became an adult and instead of giving in to our culture's pressure and attending a college, I went my own way; I spent years enjoying and learning many diverse technical trades; I had some fascinating experiences and eventually started and ran my first business. Running that first business allowed me to accumulate some money to use to achieve my dream to separate my real life from the necessity of my working life. I only had to re-enter the outside world three days a week to satisfy the needs of my first company. The time has come for my dream to come true.

It was 1974 when I purchased some rough land; 30 secluded acres in rural North Carolina. I bought a few good horses, basic supplies and an ancient tractor with me. I was on my land; I could shut out the trivial world of careers and live a simpler, more meaningful life that had appealed to me from my father's books. I found that peace and tranquility could be found in watching or doing very simple things. I build many rough rock walls from the rocks I removed from the fields. I plowed and seeded the fields to produce grass to feed my horses. I grew a wide diversity of vegetables and learned to preserve them properly. I planned ahead and then cut enough good firewood to heat my home each winter. For those twenty years; I was truly happy.

It was not all work; the experiences in my woods held my attention and gave me contentment. I found out that the local wildlife would accept you if you are more like them than like a human person. Be very still and do not threaten and you will be conditionally accepted. I learned that my horses made good protection. They alerted me when needed; with kicks and whinnies when they felt trouble. Also that you can be quick enough and lucky enough to grab that snake crawling across your foot before it bites you. I found that the seasons had different odors. Winter was the best time; the odors were sharp; sometimes musky, occasionally sweeter. I was fascinated by the winter ice storms that reflected the sunlight and blinded my vision while my land echoed with the sounds of the crackling ice. Then as the weather turned warmer, the thawing chunks of ice fell to the ground with heavy wet thumping sounds; signaling the change of seasons again. And for all twenty years I was happy in my little world. I would still be there if my health had not dictated the necessity of leaving my woods.

Thoreau may have meant "Life in the Woods" as a temporary experiment for himself but I personally found it to be a satisfying lifestyle. I found that living fully while making memories was my reward. I believe that memories are a priceless commodity and provide energy for the soul. My soul has these memories of that time and they will never fade while I live. So every time I hear or read that Thoreau passage again "I went to the woods..." it brings back wonderful memories of my father reading bedtime stories to me and the later times in my life when I found some personal answers.