"This Small Part of the World Is Enough to Think About"

Screening of Gary Snyder's "Practice of the Wild". Snyder is second from left. Photo courtesy Flickr

Dick Proenneke’s wilderness experience forged concentration. It’s a luxury to displace concerns about the larger arena and simply do one’s best with the fundamentals. Judiciously allotting time and jealously guarding time are the way to find peace enough to do one’s best and enjoy the simple labors of ordinary life.

I love to live in the woods, and I love to find wilderness in the heart of town. The climate is still uncontrolled, the bay retains most of its original contours, there are many wild plants (although they’re much shorter than the original timber), the birds and bugs come and go, the mammalian predators are more dextrous and challenging than the usual furry ones, and there’s a generous supply of unanticipated events.

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