Footnotes to a Conversation, February 19, 2024
Greetings from Paris –at least momentarily as I’m on the move. After 3 weeks in Vannes, I’ve spent 3 days in Quimper, 2 days in Paris, and by next Saturday evening I’ll be in Nice after a short housesit just outside of Paris. It’s a bit of a whirlwind as I try to process places and information (not to mention logistics). I learn and experience so much but fear I won’t be able to sort and absorb such a wealth of varied experiences. I am tremendously privileged. Hopefully there are ways I can share or use the knowledge gained to benefit others.
Solitude
People often ask me if I’m lonely and I’m not. How can I be when there is so much to see and do and absorb? My mind is constantly engaged.
I think it’s important to distinguish between being alone and being lonely as they are two very distinct states. We live in a society that places a high value on social activities and behaviour. But solitude can be very positive as well. I read an interesting article by Thuy-vy Nguyen, a researcher at the Solitude Lab, who views solitude very positively. If this is a topic that interests you, here’s a short video by Nguyen as well as a resource list on the Solitude Lab website (e.g. A love letter to solo travel, How solitude can help regulate your mood).
I don’t deny that solitude has the potential to be extremely negative. Hikikomori is a form of severe social withdrawal, first described in Japan, in which young people isolate themselves in their family home, cut off from any form of social interaction. [The Conversation]
The Blind Traveller
He hiked Mount Vesuvius when it was active, was arrested as a spy in Siberia, and crossed Tasmania on foot. But his books were discounted, some left unpublished, and he died in poverty because the public believed that his sightlessness made “genuine insight impossible”. [JSTOR Daily]
The 1924 Tiny House
There is nothing new under the sun. In 1924, Caroline Bartlett Crane won the 1924 Better Homes in America contest with her design for a 638 sq. ft. house. “Everyman’s House came with a full basement (a quarter of which was occupied by the furnace and coal bin) and a second floor, which, thanks to generous dormers and knee walls that framed out closets, almost doubled the living space of the main floor.” [JSTOR Daily]
An Alternate Point of View
Women have been underrepresented in acclaimed non-fiction writing. The women’s prize for non-fiction is intended to add women back in. The books on this year’s longlist are about “redressing wrongs” and many weave academic research with personal reflections. I’ve read two of them – Thunderclap and Wifedom – and recommend both for an alternate way of approaching history. [The Guardian]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.