Traveler, there is no path. Paths are made by walking.
--Antonio Machado (1875-1939)
--Antonio Machado (1875-1939)
True, if you think about Heraclitus and the "same river twice" concept. Also true that we don't read the same book twice and that no two people can read exactly the same book. We all bring our own vision, feelings, experiences, and circumstances to each situation in which we might find ourselves.
In a sense, everything is new to us if we really look,
if we pay attention--
even things we see over and over again.
So..."there is no path" since every step creates the path anew, no matter how many have traveled in the same direction. No matter how many times we have done the same thing or how many times we have seen a person. If you are happy and paying attention or sad and paying attention some inner self is always adjusting,
making slight alterations (positive or negative) to the inner self and to the way you view things--at this moment.
I operate on automatic pilot so much of the time. I don't see what is right in front of me. You know how you suddenly notice something on the shelf that has been there forever, and you've not seen it for months? My powers of observation and attention need work. I need to pay closer attention to what I read or sew or what is going on around me and give greater consideration to the path I'm walking and creating as I go.
Machado's quote has stayed with me for days. I need consistent reminders....
This is very deep, Jenclair. I do know that each person reads a different book because we all bring our own lives into our reading. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteEven re-reading a book is often such a different experience. It is funny how we can notice something completely different on a re-reading--especially in nonfiction.
DeleteThat's a lovely quote. I love it when I read something that really stays with me.
ReplyDeleteI especially like the idea that we can alter the path we walk in so many ways. Not that it is a new idea, but that it is one of those concepts that we need to keep in mind. :)
DeleteSo lovely and so true! Thanks for sharing the quote, Jenclair!
ReplyDeleteI love reading a quote that resonates. Einstein is another one who makes such pertinent and often humorous comments about life and human nature.
DeleteIt's so nice to have a fine thought come flying in from out of the blue. (In this case, your blog). Happy spring.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim! And Happy Spring, to you, too!
DeleteInteresting enough, I didn't think of reading when I read the quote, but rather thought of my time with my daughter. I get so caught up in rushing around, and then have to remind myself to slow down--when I do, I begin to see more of what my daughter sees. And it really does make a different when you open your eyes and really look around you as opposed to always being focused on what comes next.
ReplyDelete:) Yes, the world of a young child is brighter, newer, more. This is a great way to practice being more aware of your surroundings, Wendy!
DeleteSo, so true. One of the things I love about books that are old favorites is that while the book stays the same, I bring new things to it over the years. And when I reread, I'm not just revisiting the book, I'm also revisiting past versions of myself. Which is a lovely reminder of how things have changed (and stayed the same).
ReplyDeleteI remember reading and liking The Scarlet Letter in high school, discovering more of interest when in college, and finding new meaning as a young mother. Some books are as you mention, a revisit to a past version of yourself. I still love the Anne books and The Secret Garden and can feel much of the same pleasure that I felt as a child--even "seeing" myself reading them with all the fervent attention of those first reads.
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