Psychogeography

Yesterday I listened to "Broadcasting House" on BBC Radio 4. One item was on the new fashion of Psychogeography. What is this, might you ask, apart from a rather long, rather pompous sounding, word? Essentially it seems to be getting out & walking around, particularly in your home area.

People, it seems, are re-discovering the joys of walking, not just the physical aspect, the psychological benefits of it too. A regular rambler, normally a walker in the countryside, set off from his own home, & found the pleasure of just discovering the environment in which he lived. He discovered neighbours & wildlife he'd never been aware of despite having lived in the area for many years.

Later I went along to church on the Mean Machine, half-thinking about this. I'm more bemused by the need to give it a title than anything else. I've always been aware of the joy of walking. Before I became disabled I would always walk anywhere within a couple of mile radius, unless I was carrying heavy, bulky things with me, making it impractical. Not walking has been a source of great upset for me. Nowadays I'm unable to walk more than a few yards, and that more of a hobble. This is part of the reason I take so much pleasure in my trips in my Mean Machine, electric scooter.

As I went along to church, I was thinking about what made the journey so special. The actual act of walking I don't think is essential - just as well in my case. But it is important to be out in the fresh air, so you can receive all the sensory input of the trip.

As you go along at pedestrian pace, you can discover the world around you. You see the gardens & how they have progressed from when you were last there, see the wildlife around be they avian or mammal, even see the eyesores of litter. Meet neighbours & fellow walkers. Hear the birds, dogs & traffic. Smell the flowers, the freshly mown lawns, the saltiness of the sea, the stench of blocked drains. You can feel the breeze in your hair & the sun (or rain) on your skin. You become a part of the environment in a way you never can be cocooned in a car or other vehicle.

I'm not suggesting giving up motorised traffic entirely. Walking several days to get to the nearest airport is ridiculous. And we're certainly not intending to walk from here to London to see a show! Life is far to busy for most people to walk everywhere, but for shorter distances it doesn't take that much longer & does help you appreciate the world in which you live.

I just never thought I pursued such a grand hobby as psychogeography before. I just simply enjoy a stroll!