"Walden, Or Life in the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau

Last Friday night Jeff and I went to see the “Summer of Love” exhibit at the DeYoung Museum. If you live in the Bay Area and have not seen it yet, you should go before it leaves August 20. It is well worth the trip to see art, fashion and rock and roll prints from the legendary summer of 1967. At the beginning of the exhibit there is a small case containing some of the iconic books from that summer. I was so happy to see one of my favorites, “Walden, Or Life in the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau, on display. I first read this book in high school and found it so difficult. I wanted to throw it across the room and never pick it up again because it was nearly impossible for me to understand. My dad would stay up late after work, even though he was tired from producing his televisions shows to help me make sense of it all. It was always one of his favorite books, and he wanted to connect me to it and him. I will never forget the time my dad gave to help me understand Thoreau’s work. This is not a linear story but rather sets forth a manifesto on how to live a different lifestyle than your average one. Beginning in 1845, Thoreau lived for two years on a lake in Concord, Massachusetts. A leading transcendentalist, Thoreau promoted a philosophy of simple living in the wilderness. He built a small cabin for $28, grew and sold his own vegetables and contemplated solitude, away from the modern (mid 19th century) world. Thoreau was a dedicated and highly discipline journal keeper who went to extraordinary lengths to write down his thoughts, observations and dreams. Today the word  “mindfulness” is thrown around as often as “avocado toast.” But in 1854, Thoreau published a book that embraced  true mindfulness and meditation when it was far from in vogue. In 1860, after an excursion to count the rings of tree stumps during a rainstorm, he died from a bout of bronchitis at the age of 44. “Walden” is not the easier book I have ever read, but it is one that has always stayed with me because it was a challenge, in the best possible sense of the word, and a gift of thought from my dad at the same time. To purchase this link on Amazon click here.