Grounded
the downward gaze and typologies of wandering, wondering and 'earthing'
Hello Dear Readers,
How do you stay grounded in uncertain times or when life is such a whirlwind that it’s hard to catch your breath (as last week’s post revealed about my past year!)?
Apparently, for me, a simple downward gaze does the trick.
Photographing this view, which started in 2006,
became, over time, a tradition in Maine every August,
and an almost daily ritual at home,
and wherever I explored, whether the local landfill or when visiting my sister in Idaho.
So naturally, while in the Mid-Atlantic this past week, I looked down.
And as I wandered, I wondered about those whose feet had been in this exact place long before the sidewalk and even the town existed.
This is not new wondering. It’s something I do whenever I travel, as a way to stay focused on the ‘reality’ of a place.
If it were not for the literal ground beneath our feet, and for all those innovative (and sometimes destructive) people who came before us, there would be no sidewalk or cities (or paths) to explore!
And what about all those people walking these lands for millennia?
At this point, I really have to comment on my shoes.
Don’t you just love those blue sandals? Rarely do I purchase things for a specific event, but when your son is graduating from college in Washington DC in May, one really does need something fun and comfortable…and as with all my shoes, I am sure to wear them for years. Be on the look-out…1
When I started this post, I was thinking about the idea of staying grounded (mentally and emotionally stable), not about shoe styles or travel.2 But here I am, sharing this enormous typology.3
What the images in this post reveal is that the perspective I cultivated in my compost and landfill portfolios is part of a larger way of seeing for me, and perhaps also becoming a way of being.
Indeed, when I explored the word ‘grounded’ on Google, I discovered that in addition to a popular video game and an opera recently released at the Kennedy Center in DC4, grounded is also another name for something called “earthing.” Here’s the definition for earthing from the Grounded website:
“Also known as “Earthing,” grounding is the process of connecting with Earth’s natural electromagnetic energy, which is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that helps balance our nervous system activity.”
And I thought I was just cultivating a relationship with place, feeling the wet grass between my toes and the decomposing leaves beneath my feet!5
The next time I go hang out in my ‘garden library’ or walk on the beach, I will be sure to pay closer attention to the energy between me and the earth below.
It’s probably more difficult to practice ‘earthing’ with shoes on.
That said, while in DC this past weekend, I wandered and wondered and was grateful for this way of seeing and being in a place.
The materials beneath my feet were harvested from somewhere on the earth by people unknown to me, transformed into metal and concrete somewhere else by more people unknown to me, and finally crafted into this particular geometry by another group of people I may never meet.
And every day, week, and year, until this sidewalk is replaced, millions of others unknown to me will walk on this exact same spot - - This idea not only connects me with an entire community of people around the globe, but also grounds me to this moment, when I happened to stop and make a simple downward gaze.
How cool is that?
Is there a habit or ritual that grounds you?
If so, please share in the comments section below. Or, for that matter, share any reaction you have to this post…if nothing else than to comment of my funny curvy baby toes…
And please know, if you try to e-mail me by hitting reply, I’ll never get your message…and I’d really like to hear from you. So please, if inspired, leave a comment.
And if you’re really inspired, please share this post with those you think might find it interesting or entertaining.
As always, I am deeply grateful for you reading this far and for sharing this time and this space with me!
With cheers and gratitude for you being you,
Lyn
You may notice that most of my shoes, except those crazy neon sneakers from years ago, are black or muted in tone. Part of my emergence this year has involved a desire to shine a little brighter and have a bit of fun along the way.
I can’t possibly tell you the brand or the particular model, as they have a cork sole and I have worn all that information off! I bought them, however, at Footprints in Woodstock, VT. They’re on Facebook.
It is clear that I have had the privilege to travel extensively in the United States and throughout Europe. The carbon footprint of such travels is enormous.
Please know, though, that in 2017 I calculated my lifetime air travel, figured out the ‘going rate’ for carbon offsets (it seemed way too low), tripled that value, amortized it over 3 years, and then made monthly payments to our local Advance Transit to support free bus service in our semi-rural region. I’ve continued to make those monthly donations to ‘cover’ our ongoing family travels…
I am well aware, though, that really none of us should be going anywhere. So my ‘grounding’ practice is also becoming a practice of staying in place and exploring the adventures that can happen right in my back yard, bare feet and all.
A typology is a study of or analysis or classification based on types or categories. My compost portfolio is definitely an example of a typology, as are the works of Bernd & Hilla Becher. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC had an enormous retrospective of their work in 2022.
Grounded is a survival action-adventure video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios.
Grounded: An Opera is having its world premier at the Kennedy Center in DC between October 28 - November 13, 2023 (ending this weekend!!). Grounded is about a pilot and mother shaken into a downward spiral as the separation between career and home crumbles.
I have read Braiding Sweetgrass twice, am inspired by all the Robin Wall Kimmerer writes and now belong to the Kinship Photography Collective, a group that emerged based on the ideas of reciprocity between self and the non-human world.
Please know that I have not explored the Grounded website, more than to gather this information, nor have I practiced official ‘Earthing.’ So this is in no way a recommendation and I have not been paid to write any of this!
I like those wandering feet..
One historical reference; my hometown Izmir( ancient name Symirna) was the first town with sidewalk in ancient Hellenistic period, and was referred as “beautiful sidewalk city”. It was also where Homer was born.. You walked those sidewalks also Lyn.
I also love contemplating what grounds us and what brings us back to center. Thanks for sharing all the downward gaze perspective varieties and diversities!!