Welcome to Walker Weekly, a regularly scheduled newsletter where I share things that I find interesting, useful, inspiring, or thought-provoking. If you have anything of your own that falls into these categories, please let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new inspiration.
Quote I’m Pondering
He who jumps into the void owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.
Jean-Luc Godard
I have a long list of quotes in a Google Keep note that I add to when I come across something thought provoking. This one has been on there for years, and somehow my eye is always drawn to it when I scroll through the list. Two thoughts jump out to me when I read it.
Firstly, I think about agency and the rejection of needing external validation. “Jumping into the void” could be taking a personal risk, starting a new venture, walking a different path, or some other bold, unconventional action that takes you out of your comfort zone. Consider, for example, the purely hypothetical scenarios of starting your own blog, or trying to build a woodworking company from nothing. The decision might be a bit unorthodox, but there’s something to be admired about having courage, and agency, and making your own choice rather than following along whatever default path you were set up for in the first place.
Secondly, I like to think about a more simplistic, almost-literal interpretation of actually jumping into a void. High-adrenaline activities like free-solo climbing might fall into this category – something that looks like unnecessary risk-taking to an outsider, but to the person that’s engaged in the activity, it’s all-consuming. Take, for example, Marc-André Leclerc (The Alpinist – Wikipedia), a now-deceased young man who was an exceptional climber, to say the least. Admired by Alex Honnold, he was solo climbing some of the most difficult terrain on earth in his early 20s. What’s more interesting to me than his raw skill, though, was his philosophy about climbing. He was described as a “free spirit” and seemed to have had no real interest in making documentaries or being famous. He climbed because he loved to climb, and push himself, and go on adventures – onlookers be damned. He jumped into the void, and though it might have looked crazy to an onlooker like me, I have to respect and admire his dedication, free will, and authenticity.
Book I’m Re-Reading
Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I like to keep an “easy” book in the rotation that I can, for example, read before bed to relax and unwind. Usually this is sci-fi or fantasy. Though there are plenty of valid criticisms about it (derivative, simple, and a magic system that is a little too convenient at times), Eragon is an excellent back-pocket fantasy book that’s comfortable and adventurous. I’m a bit biased, having read it as a kid, but even today I’m enjoying it immensely.
Accessory I’m Trying Out
Mountain Hardwear Camp 4 Hip Pack. “Sling bags”, “hip packs”, or “cross-body bags” (i.e. fanny packs) seem to be all the rage these days, so I picked up this bad boy when REI was having an annual sale recently. The fabric is very high quality and I get the feeling it will last for a long time – to be expected from a “high performance” outdoor brand like Mountain Hardwear. I’ll be making a separate blog post soon about what I carry around in here for all the gear nerds out there, so stay tuned for that.
That’s all for this week, thank you sincerely for reading. Which are your favorites? Have any thoughts? Drop a comment below and let me know.
Stay curious,
Walker
Leave a Reply