Reading Response 2

The article I have chosen to read is "On the Aesthetics of Urban Walking and Writing" by Phillip Lopate. I chose to read this article because the title alone captured my attention. I asked myself what this title is referring to and how the author was going to explain what this meant. As I began to read the opening paragraph, I felt that I was going to go on a journey through his words and feel what he felt during his walk.
One of the main points of this article deals with the idea of walking. Lopate explains that anyone who goes on a walk, may find that they will become lost in thought and become part of the surroundings. Walking takes people to different places and develops new emotions. In addition, you will experience new places you never thought existed, including the objects within that area and taking everyday life. The author tells us about his walking experience, how they evolved as he got older. He loved walking when he was younger, but now he realizes he can walk whenever he feels like it. Also, he talks about the various people he has come across and how the streets helped to guide him on his walk. Another point Lopate illustrates is how other authors have written about walking and the experiences one could have during their walk.
The ideas that are illustrated in this article relate to me as a media artist because I have felt the same experiences as Lopate. I now realize that you can use the streets around you to map out your walk. You can use this method to expolore new details in everyday life that you otherwise would not notice had you not been walking. By walking, you can become involved with nature and even get lost in thought. I have personally become so involved in one of my walks, that I did not realize the specific noises around me. It was as if they blended together, making natural music. When I was younger, I would just simply go for a walk without a purpose. Just like the author, I now seem to enjoy and appreciate walking more because of the experiences I can have.