Ralph Waldo Emerson -- Reflections -- March 31, 2024

Locator: 46879READING.

I've just started reading The Annotated Emerson. 

Again, the 19th century.

Like Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock who spanned almost exactly one century, the 20th century, and, Goethe, half of one, half of the next, 18th to 19th, RWE spanned almost exactly the 19th century, born born, 1803; died, 1882.

If the US infancy was the 18th century, its adolescence was the 19th century. Adulthood, the 20th century.

RWE was able to look back on the infancy of the US with just enough time between the birth of the nation and his own coming of age. Living almost his entire life in Concord, MA, he probably reflected on the Revolutionary War and what it meant his entire life. 

In retirement, May and I were so fortunate to have lived in the Boston area for four years. The longer I'm away from Boston, the more I yearn for it.

During the week we were with the two older granddaughters 24/7, but most weekends we had free. There were a couple of exceptions: swimming tournaments in Salem-Peabody area, and soccer in the Belmont area.

But our weekend destinations:
Concord-Lexington (think Revolutionary War, Henry David Thoreau)
Rockport-Gloucester (think lobster, Motif No 1)

Cape Cod -- the far tip, Provincetown and Chatham at the elbow

In those days, we did a lot of driving, a lot of walking, a lot of shopping, a lot of art museums, a lot of everything. Today, if I were to return, for a week's vacation, on a daily basis:

• I would drive to the day's destination, let's say, Concord
• park and then walk for one hour, perhaps the cemetery, perhaps the local wine shop; and,
• then, find a place in a local coffee shop to read, journal, and blog until noon;
• a long, leisurely lunch -- mostly just a croissant and an Old Fashioned
• then, back to that local coffee shop
• a light dinner -- probably lobster bisque;
• a walk around town, an hour on a park bench, reading
• and then, more blogging

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The Annotated Emerson

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