You don't need no baggage, you just get on board (Curtis Mayfield)

 

Wie geht's?

Thanks to book buying forays to Kinokuniya and Foyles, the books-to-read pile has grown a lot after our trip and is now divided into a fiction tower and a non-fiction tower.

Jacky asked me how long it will take me to read them all and my answer was that I once set myself a goal of reading fifty books in a year and I aced it!

A couple of things are certain. I will continue to add to the pile. I will swap between piles as I go. My mood will dictate each choice.

As it goes, I've already read two of them.

Love and peace - Wozza

London calling to the imitation zone (The Clash)

Some of the many things I love about living in London are the book deals and the number of book stores (yes - still) and the walking to the book stores!!

Recently SWMBO and I have been doing a lot of walking! A LOT OF WALKING. We are averaging about 10 kilometres a day and that has taken us to some wonderful places, both new and older haunts. Many of these places involve stores SWMBO loves AND I can usually find a nearby bookstore! Huzzah!!

On one recent excursion I found A Philosophy of Walking by Frédéric Gros in a Foyles store (an excellent 3 books for 2 deal).

It seemed to be appropriate. It's a thoughtful look at, yes, walking. I've bookmarked quite a few pages so far. Some of which I want to address in the blog.

For instance: I loved his mention of Hindu philosophy which distinguishes four stages on the journey through life.

The first stage is the pupil/student/disciple. In the second stage the man becomes the master of the house, married, responsible for a family.

The third stage is where I'm at. 

This stage, that we call the current empty nest years, is the afternoon of his life - it's a 'withdrawal to the forest' stage where he becomes a hermit 'in which through contemplation and meditation he familiarizes himself with what has always lain unchanged within us, waiting for us to awaken it: the eternal self, transcending masks, functions, identities, histories.'

[The final stage of the journey is as a pilgrim - dedicated to travel and endless walking which 'illustrates the harmonization of the nameless Self with the omnipresent heart of the world'. Sounds pretty cool huh.]

I love this idea of awakening things that have lain dormant inside me. There is a real peace attached to that idea and finding them.

I think my recent longing for familiar touchstones of my past is part of this: the return of vinyl; Star Wars Episode 7; The Trigan Empire; London; Arsenal; Disneyland...I could go on.

The phrase 'my happy place' is often used now - it lies within! I'm enjoying exploring it!

Love and peace - Wozza