Contemporary Thoreaus
I'm sure you have read pp. 264-265 in your literature text, the section entitled Contemporary Thoreaus. Annie Dillard and Edward Abbey are great examples of modern Thoreau disciples. Your journal assignment is to provide another example. I'd enjoy reading about someone who is NOT famous, maybe a favorite aunt or uncle, a friend's father or mother, or perhaps a friend of your own. Tell me what makes that person like Thoreau, either in his or her lifestyle or life philosophy. If you can't provide a personal example, then do some research and write about a historical figure. If you'd like, tell me about a character in a book or movie that is "So-Thoreau."One of my favorites is Jeremiah Johnson, a character portrayed by Robert Redford in a 1972 film. If you're a lover of the Western wilderness and don't mind movies that move at a slower pace, then give this movie a try. Check out this link at the International Movie Database for more information on Jeremiah Johnson.
posted by JTF @ 9:30 AM
43 comments
43 Comments:
When I first heard about this assignment I thought, "Who reminds me of Thoreau?" It took me a while to think of someone to write about but then I suddenly remembered an episode I saw on Oprah. This episode was about people who lived in very small houses. One house that was featured really caught my eye. It was the house of Jay Shafer, who's house was a whopping 96 square feet! He is the founder of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. In his house he has a "great room", kitchen, shower, and a 3 and 1/2 ft tall bedroom loft. Most people would not like to live in a house that is this small. Jay says, "I feel like as long as I know what makes me happy and know what doesn't, I can get rid of all that other stuff, and it makes room for a really comfortable life," He is very happy living in this small home. He said, "I can focus now on other things I want to do in my life rather than just paying a mortgage and taking care of a house." Jay reminds me of Thoreau because he too likes to live commune with nature. Jay would rather live in a small house and focus on nature and things that he likes to do. I admire Jay for being able to live his life in such a small space while really enjoying his life.
If you would like to see Jay's house you can go to oprah.com and then go to the show archive. This episode was on 2/20/07.
This assignment took me a while,I sat there and thought really hard for someone who could really be a good Thoreau. So I started thinking of TV shows and though the show Lost would be great. It is about a group of plane crash survivors, who landed on a mysterious island. They have to get along with each other, and make the most of the situation as they can. All of the survivors make little huts to live in. every one is really close with nature, and the have to be. The show goes on about most of the main characters and their lives before the crash, some of them are really interesting. Durring the stay on the island they have been over coming many obstagles, such as a monster that is in the woods, and many other mysterious things that pop up. Another thing is a hatch they found, with a man in it, who locked him self in there. Fnally, a woman who was on the island before them sometimes helps the, but for the most part she had seperated herself from most contact with anyone. I think Lost was a great example of some people who were really forced to be contemorary Thoreaus.
Out of all the people in my life, I would have to say that my father is who I consider to be the closest to a Contemporary Thoreau. He actually has even visited Walden Pond. My dad knows everything there is to know about nature and is constantly watching the Discovery Channel to learn more. My dad would choose sleeping in the middle of the rainforest, rather than stay at a fancy resort. He is fascinated by all different animals, especially birds. When we go to Florida over spring break, he always rides his bike to this certain spot in the neighborhood where a bald eagle lives. He can literally sit there and watch the eagle for 2 hours, and I’m not even exaggerating. My dad is also really into history. The History Channel is the other channel that he watches the most. My dad owns hundreds of books about different figures and events that have occurred in history. My dad reads more than any person I know. Because of his job, he has to travel a lot. Whenever he comes back from one of his trips, he always brings home at two books that he casually bought at one of the book stores in the airport. He always tries to tell me and my sisters about them, but we always say they sound boring. Another reason why I consider my dad a Contemporary Thoreau is because of his thoughts about “self-image”. Because I have three sisters, we own a lot of clothes, and love to go shopping for more. My dad always gets mad when we buy more things, because he says that our old clothes are fine. It’s not that he doesn’t like spending money, it’s just that he thinks we need to focus less on what we look like and if our clothes are in style or not. He thinks it’s pointless to buy designer brands. He thinks that wearing designer brands doesn’t make you any better a person that you already are. He also hates when we wear makeup or wear too much perfume. He says that doing this takes away from your natural beauty.
Great start!! Some excellent comments.
After I read your post, I thought long and hard about who I could write about. Finally, I agreed to write about my cousin. My cousin's name is Chris. He is the most outdoorsy person you will ever meet. He does it all. He camps, hikes, rock climbs, and even fishes. Anything that has to do with nature, he does it. He says he loves to get away from all the "hustle and bustle" and just enjoy life and what God has given us. Thoreau did the same thing. One weekend I decided that it would be fun to go camping with him. I was wrong. It was hell. The bugs, wild animals, and tent just aren't my thing. The woods creeped me out. There were no bathrooms. It was just absolutely horrible. I couldn't wait to go home. Yet the entire time, my cousin was having a blast. He caught fish, pitched the tent, and cooked over a fire. While he did this, I sat back and listened to my Ipod as long as I could before the battery ran out. I have to admire my cousin for what he does. It takes a spiritually strong person to give up all their luxuries so that they can do something that is really unappealing. But that is exactly something that Thoreau would do too.
This is about the hardest journal I've ever had to write about because Thoreau seems to be a hard person to compare to. Thinking... Thinking... Thinking... and I suppose my little brother Robbie would have to be the closest person to Thoreau I know of. He is always outside. Even when it is 17 degrees outside, he is out there running around with a basketball or a soccerball or playing baseball. He also loves going to the baseball fields where he plays. He tries to climb the trees, jump through the river that circles Peidmont and run around the in the grass whether it's muddy or not. His clothes are always dirty from the dust he runs through and always sweaty from racing his friends and scoring goals in the backyard. He gets people together every spring and summer and we have neighborhood baseball games so we can all get a taste of outside int he early spring/summer. Even though he may not realize it, I think he really really loves nature.
I have to say Mr. Fiorelli, this assignment took me a while to think of someone. After a lot of thinking however, I have come to the comclusion that my grandfather, I would have to say is the closest person I know to a "Contemporary Thoreau". My grandfather is so "in love with" life itself and with nature. He is constantly planting new things in his garden and feeding the birds and squirrels with leftover food. He could care less about material things. He grew up in Puerto Rico, in a city that wasn't exactly the greatest city there. he had to work out in fields and he had to do hard labor in and around the house. He grew up appriciating what he had, even if it was little, and knowing that somewhere there was someone who stil had even less than he. He constantly reminds me of that, as well as the rest of my family. He is always saying that as long as you love, you will be loved and that is all you need in this world.
It took me awhile to think of someone that was like thoreau. Then I thought about my cousin. Whenever I see him he is outside playing games. He also likes to catch frogs and other little creatures that he finds in the creek and woods near his house. He also likes to play some sports outside wheter it is cold or not he is outside doing something. He also likees to watch sports on TV and go to games. He also has a lizard that he sometimes feeds it with live crickets that he has caught in his back yard. He reminds me of Thoreau because he is in commune with nature and is also very optimistic. There are probably better exaples of contempory Thoreau but this is the best example that I could come up with and this was a pretty hard journal assignment.
When I heard I had to come up with someone I knew that live/thought like Thoreau. Finally, after much thinking, I thought of my cousin. She isn't a close cousin, and I don't see her much. What made me think of her the most is the recent news I heard about her. She had taken a trip to Alaska, and ever since then, she has wanted to live there. She decided that she would like to attend college there.The thing she loves about Alaska is the nature. Unlike the rest of the family, she wants to live out there where everything is a lot more simple. She was always happy with simple things. When my other cousin and I liked the bigger or name brand things, she was happy with the smaller, generic brand. I think her view on like is very simple and she perfers to live a quiter, less complex life.
The Clique Novel, by Lisi Harison has a particular character, which is very much like Thoreau. Claire Lyons, is the new girl in town who at first wants so much to be apart of Massie block's super-catty clique. Time and time again, Claire tries to find new ways to be accepted as "one of them", but the girls always shut her down. Toward the climax of the book, Claire finds a way to get Massie back by becoming best friends with her crush's sister. But then she realizes that this is no better than being a member of Massie's posse. So she accepts her self for the way she was before she moved, and decides not to give in. She remains the sweet-no sense of fashion- caring girl from Florida, and doesn't try so desperately to mimic everyone else in California. She loves her Keds, overalls and no-label barrettes, despite everyone else's obsession with Marc Jacobs and Chanel no. 9 perfume.
Claire now knows that in order for people to like her, she not only has to like herself, she needs to love herself as well.
Even though readers of the Clique series know nothing about Claires love of nature, she is very much like Thoreau due to the one fact that she knows who she is as an individual and is no longer afraid of being seen as an outsider.
Well, when I thought about Thoreau, and who would be like him, nobody really came to mind. But after some really hard deliberation I thought about a cousin of mine that fit the description of Thoreau perfectly. He is really big into the outdoors. He loves nature and likes to right poetry; although its not that good. One time while we were up in the Poconos he decided that he was through with all the TV and radios and just noise in general. So he did what all "Thoreaus" would do in that situation. He went outside all day and watched the deer and listened to the "music of nature" as he so puts it. He is kinda weird but he was the only person that really reminded me of Thoreau in any way at all.
I found my self disputing this journal for a while. Thinking hard I found that my mom-mom is most like the Contemporary Thoreaus. I was very sure. She absolutely loves being outside and being in the pressence of nature. She has been this way for as long as I can remember. When I was younger she would always take my sister and I outside and we would help her with her yard work and other endeavors. We did things like raking leaves in the fall or planting different plants in the spring time. Even in my recent vists i find my self outside most of my stay. She loves cooking on th grill and having people over. There is never a dull moment at my mom-moms house. When I am around her, or probably if anyone is, they will find her love for nature spreads to them.
After much thought I finally decided on someone I know that is a Contemporary Thoreau. It was hard because our world today is so consumed with big homes, designer labels, and money. I think that my aunt and uncle could be considered Contemporary Thoreaus in some ways. They live in Fairhill, Maryland in an old, comfortable looking house with around 2 to 4 acres. When I was little my aunt would baby-sit me and I have many great memories from playing out there with my cousins.
They live a really simple life style. Most of my cousins wore hand-me downs, but that was fine with them because most of the time we were out getting dirty anyway. My aunt’s kitchen is somewhat old-fashioned, she just recently she got a new refrigerator. The old one had the old style handle where you had to pull up really hard to open it and the inside of the freezer was covered in about an inch of ice because it was so old. Their house is really old too; it even has an old wood furnace in the living room. They bought the house years ago when they were first married and it was a real fixer upper. My aunt has her own garden in the backyard where she grows a little of everything. And my uncle has a welding/wood shop in the garage; one year for my birthday he made me wooden blocks carved to look like the letters in my name. Growing up around them really taught me to value the simple thing in life. When I get caught up in the whirlwind of life, I remember the summers I spent the running around with my cousins. It helps to ground me and set my priorities straight. My aunt and uncle live a lot of what Thoreau exemplified and I really admire them for that. They are some of the most wonderful people I know and I’m glad that I got to spend so much time growing up around them.
A "contemporary Thoreau" in my opinon is someone who is truly in tune with nature. I know exectly who in my family reminds me of Thoreau. My aunt and cousin, who live in Colorado, are exactly the image that comes to mind. They don't shut themselves away from society and try to seclude themselves from any human encounters. But they both respect and understand nature and are always hiking and camping and just being in nature. They are adventurous and always try new things like rafting down rivers and climbing mountains. If it's exciting and has to do with nature, they have done it. They live in a medium sized house on several acres in the foothills of Evergreen, CO. I always love visiting them because it gives me a chance to get in tune with nature and the beauty of their property is awe inspiring. They don't live in luxury, instead they choose to live simply and are much happier that way. It's really amazing to me that we have a lot and yet we constantly complain about something while people like my aunt and cousin live in simplicity and are truly happy. To me, my aunt and cousin are great examples of "contemporary Thoreaus"; they always see the good in people and are in accord with nature. I truly admire them for their respect and knowledge of nature and of their lifestyle.
After reading some of the other responses, I think I have someone iin mind. My grandpa is a very active 72 year old. He walks five miles everyday, goes the senior citizen home once a week with my grandma for some fun, and picks me up from school almost everyday. On the weekends during fall he would drive over to my house and rake all the leaves from my backyard just to help us out. SOmedays in spring after school we will find him planting tomatoes in our garden. My grandpa grew up in a poor third world country called Dominica. His family had no electricity and no running water. Every morning he would have to get up at five in the morning to go down to the freezing cold river to take a bath. When he came back he would eat and then walk 15 miles to go to school. My grandpa never passed the eight grade. HE wanted to continue but his parents needed him to help out at home with chores and the other siblings. Even so,he is still one of the most intelligent people I know. He has taught himself many things including different forms of math, spanish,a nd reading. He is a master at scrabble and is not afraid to brag about it. Basically my grandpa appreciates life to the fullest and helps us to do the same. He is a great inspiration to me and my family and even long after he is gone we will remember his name.
ok so this is definitely one of the more boring jornals....
So I think I would consider my Pop-pop to be an example of Thoreau. He never conforms to anything. He always has his opinion and is very stubborn about changing it. He will never let you get away with changing yourself to agree or fit in with someone else, even if it is with him. Sometimes he can be frustrating, but I love him.
He will go camping alone sometimes, just to get away and clear his thoughts. He says he thinks of new ideas for games to play and new places to visit while he is alone. He really enjoys that. Its only for a couple days, but like Thoreau, he gets away. My Pop-pop will never let anyone tell him how to live. He knows that to be your own person is very important and I know he wants to pass that on to me. I guess he kinda already has.
My Pop-pop also has a corn field behind his house. When he gets the chance he will take a walk through it. He is really tall so he has to wait for the corn stalks to grow high, but he likes to walk through there when he feels like the house is too stuffy.
I know that he really ejoys his life and wouldn't trade his attitude towards it for anything. Now that i think of it, he is a perfect example of Thoreau!
One specific person came to mind when i read this journal. That person was my dear aunt Lindy. REcently my aunt and uncle and my granparents went on a cruise. My granparents had been on serveral cruise liners before, but as for my aunt and uncle, this was their first. My family had dinner with my grandparents soon after their arrival home and they told us all about the cruise. Their was so much to do. So many extravagent people, foods, and experiences to, well, experience. My grandparents told us that my aunt and uncle had a great time, although it really wasnt them. My aunt Lindy really didnt go out of her norm. She sat on the deck, read, wrote in he diary, enjoyed the view , and chit-chatted occasionally with me grandparents and uncle. They told me she never really did anything extremely new. She tryed some new things but basically just relaxed and kept mostly to herself. This is just what she does on vacation. Its what she likes to do. It is what she does every summer when we go up to Canada on the lake. Another reason i thought of her is because i know some of the things that she loves. For one she loves nature. She could just sit outside for hours if she wanted and be apart of the serenity of nature. She told me once when i was very small that i should always respect mother nature because she was married to God.
I think one of the biggest Thoreaus ever was Jesus.
Yeah, that's right. Jesus.
Sure, he couldn't really be called a "comtemporary", considering he lived some 1800 years before Thoreau, but they still had similar beliefs regarding many things, and I think that is what's most important. Besides, I figured it probably get's a little boring reading about how everyone's Granny slept on some mountain back during the War. Plus, I mean, it's Jesus. You can never go wrong with Jesus.
Alright, still don't believe me? Well, think about this. Jesus would go off into the desert for forty days without eating or anything. He'd just sit out there and pray and argue with Satan. Then, when he'd come back, he'd spend all day everyday showing people how to live simply and to be good to each other and whatnot. Jesus sure wasn't afraid to be different. He wouldn't hesitate to tell a rich, prominent man that he was too caught up in earthly possessions and wasn't focusing on the important things in life. Jesus also wasn't afraid to tell the religious and political leaders that they had too many crazy rules that took all the meaning out of life. Jesus never forced his ideas on anyone, though. If somebody refused to see things, Jesus would just be like, "Alright, whatever man. Your loss."
Am I right or am I right?
I would have to say theat the one person that portrays contemporary Thoreau characteristics would be my dad. He is definately a modern day Thoreau, he tries to stay in touch with nture as much as it is possible in our idealistic culture. The reason why I stress he would be a "modern" day Thoreau is because he is enthralled with weather and tide patterns, interests more common to modern day people. I have occasionally seen my Dad outside the back of my town house just staring into the woods out back. He says he feels "at peace," when he is out back or running through the path in our woods. Thoreau stresses the fact that nature should provide us with inner peace, and he has always said that the outdoors/beach do that for him. Materialistic would be the opposite of my Dad, he feels as long as he has a quiet place to think and great friends and family he could survive for forever. My Dad is Scintillatingly simple in the way that he exists and the things that he depends on, he'll make the best of any situation. He always tells my brothers and myself to seperate ourselves from what stresses us, and do what makes you happy. Hopefully I can continue his Thoreau-like ways as I continue my recklessly relaxing life. Thankkkkks
MCD
GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEn
The first peron that popped in my head when I read this assignment was my grandmother. She just adores nature. She loves her garden and anything that has to do with the outdoors. She lives in the "sticks" out in Maine, so she is very intune with nature. In the summer she loves to sit outside on the deck, in the sun, with her book, and read. She could do this for hours. Whenever I come over, she is always tending to her garden, like it's her child or something. My grandmother lives a simple life and has no worries. When she is stressed out, she goes to her garden or just relaxes outside. She always tries to take the most scenic routes. Even if they are way out of the way. Or if we're going somewhere, and we could walk, she'd rather walk then drive. She loves the nature and all it's beauty.
The first person that came to mind when I read this journal was my Great Uncle Joe. My Uncle Joe is "So-Thoreau" because like thoreau he secludes himself to his house with no company at all. I know this may seem wierd but to my family and I it is quite normal because his brother and sister were the same way. My uncle comes to visit my family on holidays and is the nicest person, but we hardly ever hear from him. Even though he secludes himself he opens himself up to his surroundings by keeping a garden and taking early morning walks in the woods. And that is why I think he is a contemporary Thoreau
First off, let me start by saying this journal assignment was hard and was negative fun. I thought for a while and procrastinated and flipped on the tube. Thats when Man vs. Wild came on the Discovery Channel and I thought to myself, his lifestyle is that of a contemporary Thoreau. The star of the show is Bear Grylls. It is about him going on numerous survival situations in different climates and biospheres. He's not a famous man that tries to hog all the glory, he's just a man who loves the outdoors even when he could quite easily die. To me thats the ultimate Thoreau contemporary because he doesnt have extra supplies or anything where he can just shoot some footage and relocate back to a safer area. He is a lover of nature and holds the deepest respect for it because of its danger and of its resources to help him survive. That is why I think Bear Grylls is a contemporary Thoreau.
This was a touch one Fio, it took me a while to think of um ok who reminds me of Thoreau. Then i came up with an answer, she is one of my favorite aunts and I love her to death. My Aunt Andria reminds me of Thoreau. Her family and her all grew up in the North Eastern part of Conneticut. It is really seculded from everywhere else and it takes about 15 min to get into the little town from where she lives. My family out there lives in a town called Norwhich, CT. It is beautiful out there, trees surround her house and she is just so secluded from the outside it is amazing. She loves being outside and everything. She loves to read and talk walks just through the woods and she will be happy. She always says, "Why stay cooped up in a house all day, when theres a beautiful world right out that door." She lives by that and with her kids she wants them more involved in outside sports with there sports because there isn't much else up there to do. My Aunt Andria reminds me of Thoreau and I love that she does.
My cousin Trevor reminds me of a contemporary Thoreau. He is in tune with nature and he doesn’t like to walk to the beat of another person’s drum. He has always planned his own adventures and he truly loves everything he does. He was a track star in high school and he enjoyed it because of his competitive nature. Now he is 24 years old and has a college and graduate degree from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire. He chose to go to Plymouth State because it was close to the White Mountains. He believes his best high is skiing through the mountains. Last year he traveled with a group of friends to Newfoundland. There he skied and snow shoed all over the province. Unlike most people who would take a vacation to be with their friends, he did not do it for social time. He did it to enjoy nature and the beautiful scenery. I am jealous of Trevor’s ability to be in love with nature. I feel like I have to be with someone all the time, he knows that he is never alone. Trevor will always feel fulfilled because he finds pleasure and happiness in the simple, natural elements of life.
At first I didn't no who to chose as my Contemporary Thoreau. It took alot of thinking time for me. But soon a figured the person was right on my family tree. It's my grandfather on my dad side who I think is a Contemporary Thoreau. He truly loves nature. My grandfather bought a house on the Chesapeake Bay to be closer with nature. His house is right on the dock and you can see the water right out of his living room window. My grandfather loves to be out on a boat in the water just being with nature and forgetting about all time. He loves to sit and watch the birds fly across the sky and the fish swim in the water. When ever we go over my grandfather's house we normally don't turn the television on because we just sit in the living room and watch the nature. My grandfather loves the nature and being out in the woods forgetting about all the problems in life. My grandfather use to be a veterinarian because he loved nature so much, but now he has retired. I can remember as a kid going out on the water in a boat and going out so far that you couldn't see anything, but water around you. We'd just listen to the water swish and the birds chirp. It's an amazing experience and my grandfather loves it so much. I think my grandfather is a shining example of a Contemporary Thoreau in my life.
I can think of one person right off the top of my head who is like Thoreau. That person is my Grammie. Grammie lives literally right on the Sassafras River. Her front yard is not even 50 feet of grass and then the beautiful sparkling water. Grammie knows anything and everything about nature. All over her house are books and pictures teaching you things. Most of her little knick-knacks are made out of beach wood or stone. Her gardens are quite a site. She has just about every flower growing somewhere on the property. There are many birdbaths and feeders throughout the grounds, but my favorite is the one that sits right outside her porch by the window. It’s a hummingbird feeder. Every summer I’m down there I wake up early just to watch them. Grammie has no trouble keeping up with the place either. She is always busy weeding, planting, filling up feeders, but she always finds time to teach me one or two things about nature. She never seems to get lonely at her home either. My grandpa died so it’s just Grammie and her orange cat, Barney. She truly enjoys the company of nature, as Thoreau did.
The first person to come to my mind about being a "Contemporary Thoreaus," is my best friend, Steph. She loves the outdoors and it shows. She comes from a large family so naturally when you are young you pick up on your older siblings' habits. One of which was sports. She picked up on them very quickly and still does! Having a best friend that lives right across the street from you is not uncommon. I enjoy it very much! We both do lacrosse and cross-country. Although we go to different schools and have crazy schedules, we make time for each other!
In the summer, we would go on "fun runs" at White Clay Creek State Park. These took place every Monday and Wednesday with most of the Newark High School xc team! This did make running fun. The scenic views on a late summer afternoon were unforgetable! Steph would point out the different trees or a bug that was buzzing around. We always would try to pick a new path to go on! This wasn't hard because it is such a large place! Each path even more exhilirating then the next!
Steph exhibits Thoreau's inhibition to incorporate nature in her life. Running is one of the least stressful things to do. You set your own pace and path then you just run! She is always calling me to go outside to help her practice or go on a run! It's great!
She is also a great person and an awesome person to be around. Next time you take a walk or just look at the sky look and see the beautiful wonders of our world.
When I first read this assignment, I was stumped. I live with a family of couch potatoes, so who would I write about? Fortunately, I read a lot, so it wasn't too hard to pick a book character to write about. After thinking for a moment, I realised that Legolas Thranduilion from the Lord of the Rings could potentially be Throeau's twin. He is so in touch with nature that it is implied that he can actually speak with trees. He understands nature better than anyone else in the novels. He truly understand the nature of Fangorn forest just by listening to the sounds of the wood. It astounds me that any one person, even a character in a work of fiction, could ever understand the true nature of the planet as deeply as Legolas does. He understands the tree's troubles and fears and addresses them properly. Despite the fact that he is an Elf, I feel that Legolas understands nature better than any other member of his race.
For this journal, I chose to write about the first person that came to mind. That person is one of my closest cousins, Matt. He is one of my best friends. He attends Carnegie Mellon college (or university, I'm not sure). He is 20 years old and he is studying computer sciences. He is graduating a year early from college. He is really smart. Unlike most college students, he doesn't go to a beach for spring break. Instead he goes to Africa for two weeks every spring break. He goes over there to work with the children. He teaches them about computers. It might sound like he really isn't a "contemporary Thoreau" but he really is. While he is overthere he writes to me telling me about his secret retreats into the deserts where he says "everything is beautiful! There is no drama or sonfusion, just nature." He absolutely loves nature. And he loves visiting his "students" in Africa. I'm not exactly sure about where he goes in Africa because he won't tell me. He says he is afraid I might run away and come visit him in Africa without telling my parents! I would never just leave but that's another story. We made a promise that after I turn 18 my senior year, I am able to go with him for my spring break over to Africa with him. He told me that I should come with him because he says the kids over there love basketball but aren't very good. And everyone knows how much I love basketball. Matt is my favorite cousin and I love him to death. He was the only "Contemporary Thoreau" that I could think of.
It was not hard for me to think about who reminds me of Thoreau. My mom's cousin ,Timmy, reminds me a lot of him. He lives in the mountains. he has a small house out there and lives by himself with his dog. Timmy enjoys just observing nature. He has visited a few times and knows a lot about the plants and animals. He has also visited many places to observe nature. In a letter he wrote us he said that he spends a lot of time just hiking through the woods near his house. Timmy does not need much to make him happy, and i think that is a good way to be. He reminds me of Thoreau because he is so commune with nature. He is a good person.
Hmmm... This journal was pretty tough. It's hard for me to come up with anyone I know that would be considered a Contemporary Toreau. I guess the clossest person to Thoreau I can think of is my mom's friend Ed. Ed is Wiccan, and is very spiritual. He is close to nature, the moon, and the out doors. He loves to be outside and is very peaceful. He is never violent unless he needs to be. That is why I think Ed is pretty much the clossest I'll ever get to knowing a Contemporary Thoreau.
Carol
As soon as I heard about this assignment, I could think of noone better than my 5th grade teacher, Dr. Hudson. He is a very easygoing man that lives the simple life. He is so much in commune with nature. He had plants all over his room. Also, whenever we were learning something in class he would try to incorporate the outside with it. For example, we were learning about trees in science class, and he took us to the park to, literally, hug trees. Then we used sandpaper and rubbed pieces of a trunk of a tree to determine its age. Also, he loves giving to the community. We would take weekly trips to a convalescent home to visit elderly people. It made me feel good to see those people smile when we performed a song or just said hi to them. Anytime he gets the chance to help, be it donating old clothes or donating money, he is there. That is why I think he is most like Thoreau.
When I think of a contemporary Henry David Thoreau I immediately see my uncle. The first couple things people should know about my uncle is that he thinks he knows everything. He lives in the woods in upstate New York and the setting of his life reminds me a lot of Walden pond. Uncle Greg reads very many books also. In his house exists a room filled with bookshelves that contain every genre of book I can think of. This is no lie either. He really believes that he knows just about everything and talks much like a transcendentalist. Examples of his inner Thoreau showing through are when he gives me talks about the real meaning of life and his blunt, rather unromantic view of things. The reason I see him in such comparison to Henry David Thoreau is because he's a little out there. A very intelligent, witty guy but sometimes not on the same level with the rest of society. That pretty much sums up the similarity of old Uncle Greg to Henry Thoreau.
When thinking of a person that reminds me of Thoreau I didn’t even have to think about this one, the answer just popped right into my head. The person that reminds me most of Thoreau is my poppop. He fits the characteristics perfectly and it is weird that you gave us this question. The reasons I say my poppop is so similar to Thoreau are because he is very much in touch with nature and enjoys spending time alone and hates stress. Every morning my poppop takes a run around the block, which is pretty far at about 6 in the morning. He likes to see that day when it is young and is always looking around admiring nature and everyday life. He also has a bird feeder outside his window and he regularly adds food and watches the birds eat as he does. My poppop is the perfect example of Thoreau and he does similar things in every aspect that Thoreau does.
Okay Fio, here goes. This might not be exactly what you had in mind when assigning the journal but this is what came to mind when i read the blog, so i'm relaying it to you. Hey, that's what blogging is all about right?
Okay, I think you have probably either read or seen the story of "The Indian in the Cupboard". Just to refresh your memory, a young boy brings to life and small indian plastic figure and he lives in the young boy's bedroom in a type of shoebox. The whole theme of the movie is not exactly "So-Thoreau" but to me, when I look into it, it is. The boy brings many things to life for the indian with his magical cupboard. Eventually, he gives the indian human food and guns and more modern stuff. The indian learns to use these things and in the end, I think it works against him. When the young boy brings a cowboy to life, they don't get along as expected[C'mon, cowboys & indians never get along. duh.] Ultimately, the gun does not help the indian at all, it just complicates things. Not the whole movie, but parts of it, remind me of Thoreau's commune with nature principles. The indian doesn't need anything else to survive and thrive in his lifestyle. Their culture was perfectly okay before they were modernized with not needed items. Thoreau's ideas were sort of the same I think. He lived in nature and thrived with nature, just like indians did. Can you imagine us living now like they did back then?! It'd probably be good for our culture!
When I saw to write about a temporary Thoreau I knew immediately to write about my Great-Uncle Tommy, who I was named after. He is an artist and has been for most of his life. He has done some animation but mostly does landscapes and he is actually very good. The paintings he does can actually catch around a couple hundred dollars. (I know this is off topic but have you heard of the land before time series?-well he drew the background of those movies) For a period of his life he moved to the beach along the cost of South Carolina and lived in solitude for a couple of years. He has told me stories about how he walked along the beach and found snakes and turtles and all sorts of wild things during those years. These excursions really helped him connect with nature and his artwork. He was done many wonderful paintings which hang in my house. Whenever I visit him I always think we have some sort of connection because of us sharing a name, but when we spend time together we always have something to talk about. It was him who originally inspired me to be an artists which is what I originally had planned for my life. Now he has married a lovely lady and is still settled on the beach and lives a wonderful life. He is my contemporary Thoreau and I understand and enjoy everything he has done.
This one took a good bit to think of, but i think i found my contomporary thereau in my Grandfather. My Poppop loves to enjoy the finer points in life. He loves long walks with my Mommom and dogs. He will always stop to enjoy the smell of a flower, or stop to look at deer running across a field. To him deer feeding in a pack is more beautiful than any sports car or any house money can buy. Nature is my Popppop's beauty. My Mommom and Poppop have been all over the world just for hiking and to enjoy local deserted beaches in order to look for remains and fossils. They even went to Arizona for bird watching, a full 7 days to watch birds. Now, if that isn't being intune with nature i don't know what is. The reason i feel my grandfather is such a contemporary thereau is because he is so knowledgable but yet he doesn't brag about it, he doesn't have an envious bone in his body. I don't know if this is quite what you are looking for, but if you are looking for who thereau is in our life, I would have to go with my nature-loving, modest Poppop.
My Dad's brother, or my Uncle Peter is a great example of a contemporary Thoreau. He's basically a hermit, and rude one at that. He even looks like a hermit, he's an old (I think around sixty)skinny man, who wears clothes that cover pretty much his whole body, and on top of that he always wears this weird looking golf hat. Oh, and he always has a disgustingly strong scent of cigar smoke on him. I think you're starting to get a better idea of what this guy is like now. He's actually a pretty good example of why you should believe in anti-transcendentalism. My Uncle lives all the way out in New Hampshire, in a cabin, in very exclusive woods. His job is supposedly a typewriter repairman, yeah. How he makes money is honestly a mystery to me. Actually, if I had to guess, I'd bet that he makes it by doing something illegal. It wouldn't surprise me, because, well, you'd just have to meet him to understand. Either that or he probably just gets my grandmother to send him checks. He's pretty disobedient civilly, too. He's always talking about how the government is such a piece of crap, and how we should change this and that, and get rid of this. Not only is the man rebellious he's also disgusting. There was this one time awhile ago when my entire family went out to dinner, and this is including my mother's side of the family. So anyway, as he's eating he throws up right on his dinner plate in front of everyone. Not only that, he pretends like it isn't even there, and keeps eating off the plate, just avoiding the huge spot were vomit is. He's also rude and creepy, if he comes over your house he'll look through all your things. Just recently, he called my Dad and asked why he couldn't find my brother when he was driving around in Philly (my brother goes to Temple). So basically, my Uncle is a contemporary Thoreau, just a very disgusting and creepy one.
Wow, this journal is hard. Thoreau is a hard one to compare to. I guess the person that I know that is most like Thoreau would be my riding instructor, Christi. She spends all day, every day at the barn. Her day consists of taching students how to ride or become better riders, mucking out horse stalls, feeding the horses, and just generally taking care of them. She only gets to ride on days when she has free time, which is almost never, but she is one of the best riders I know. She is a full time instructor, and basically, she's always there. After she is doen with lessons for the day and finally goes home, she has her own horses to take care of at her house. That's what I call commitment!
Astronaut Neil Armstrong is my example of a modern day Thoreau. His first love was flying and speed traveling. Armstrong wanted a new place to explore in our atmosphere. His passionate pursuit leads him to become to first man to walk on the moon. His search brought him a different perspective on many things. His ideas about nature and the world expanded beyond measure. Neil Armstrong’s beliefs in something much greater than himself exploded with the rockets that blasted him into space. The lunar landing module was called the Eagle and he communicated from “Tranquility Base”. Armstrong spread his personal experiences and findings to other people in writings and speeches he gave upon his return to earth. Armstrong was a very private person who found this achievements and fame uncomfortable. He also did not like to profit from his space travel experiences, for example he stopped giving autographs when he found out that people were selling them on ebay. He was a person that loved nature and was destined for greatness, yet also liked his private time. That is why I think he resembles Thoreau.
Mr.Fio i must agree with my fellow classmates that it was very difficult to think of a Thoreau like character. But i have thought of a good candidate. Jane from the movie Tarzan would make a perfect Thoreau. If you don't know the story t is of a little boy who was abandoned in the jungles of Africa, and raised by apes. One day a bunch of city folk had came to the jungles to study the apes. When the day had come to leave a young woman named Jane had decided to stay because she had fallen in love with Tarzan. Jane had give up a life of money and wealth for bananas and apes. She left a New York apartment for a Tree house in the skies of Africa. Jane loved the new life she had chosen, so this is why i think is a perfect Thoreau.
After thinking about it, i discovered how similiar my granddad and mr. thoreau really are. In fact, other than couple of obvious exceptions, they are almost the same person. Every morning my granddad takes about a 5 mile stroll on a road outside his house. Rain or shine, he's out there just "chugging" along. And when hes not inside hanging with my g-mom hes outside working on his 3 acre lawn. I mean the man is in his mid 70's and hes still transplanting trees! On top of that he has a young pup that he takes care of everyday. Up til' about 5 years ago he also had a cabin up the mountains somewhere in P.A. He liked to go up there just to "cillax", if you will, and go on "nature walks". I remember going up there as a kid and it being so cool. I liked it because it was so peaceful without anybody else. Between his nature walks and his love of landscaping, i think my granddad is just like thoreau.
Someone who reminds me of a contemporary Thoreau would be someone who is very good and appreciative with nature, dedicated, and simple. In my life, that person would be my mom's cousin Sandy. Whenever she comes over to see us, she normally always brings her dog, and lets her run around in the backyard. The dog knows when she's in the house, and whines when she's away. They're close. Sandy also brings over flowers occasionally to plant or put on our deck. Being that my mom has a rather brown thumb, she'll come over and help her keep us with the flowers or any of our other plants. She has never been married, and has also lived her older years taken care of her mother[deceased] and comtinues to take care of her father[living, obviously]. She works at Make-a-wish. I think that's absolutely amazing. I give her so much credit to giving those little kids one last wish. She is not materialistic and is the nicest person i know[plus she always has dr. pepper!]. So she is my contemporary Thoreau.
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