Monday, July 25, 2005

Driving to Eugene

I bought a book at the Sylvia Beach Hotel called "When Technology Fails" and we hit the road.

The fifth day of our honeymoon was spent largely in driving to Eugene. Indulging my need to wander, Claire planned a day of just that. We went to parks and wandered amongst trees that stretched like green spires into the heavens. We crawled over the rocks and searched for polished bits of wood in the foamy shores. We stared at fat sea lions, rolling around like water balloons on the warm rocks. It was my favorite day because we got to discover things. I wonder if the internet generation will every know what it's like to discover something instead of just accessing things.

I felt happy to have no idea what was going on in the news or on the net. Why do I usually feel this pathological need to keep up on current events when society is, at best, a flimsy hiding place, and I have no idea about the longer and steadier flows and ebbs of nature? Why do I feel "irresponsible" when I'm not up-to-date on who blew what up in what place I'll probably never see this week? Why do I care about who the President is, or think that people who don't know who the President is are less intelligent than I am? Moreover, why am I so "wired" to a world that has less and less to offer me?

I don't have any answers.

Maybe I need to wander more often.

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