File under... Things To Do

This is a continuation of an earlier post about Harried Walking.

Review it here.

I though it might be interesting to post some of the things I've written down lately.

4/26/10

3 nuns (mother Theresa's order) standing on the stairs in the subway- in a crowd- not climbing. Between the L & E trains

Same day:

3 Muslim women (wearing burkas) standing on the stairs in the subway- in a crowd- not climbing. Off of the E train

5/6/10

The woman who severed me coffee at Dunkin Doughnuts today was named Happy. It was written on her name tag. Coffee cost $3.36.

6/1/10

I saw 2 people today (at different times) walking with the red and white canes that blind people use. Both were clearly looking around as if they could see.

2/12-16

I overheard 3 super strong Boston accents (it's unusual in New York)

1 at the White Rabbit Tattoo studio in the East Village

1 on the street describing a car accident she witnessed (Broadway and 23rd)

1 on the subway (L train traveling East) reciting Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar

2/22

I was introduced to a photographer based in Boston who I may end up working with. With no obvious Boston accent.

2/16

A friend mentioned a site called Mona Lisa.com

The band Atlas Sound released of a song called Mona Lisa

2/17 Detail of Mona Lisa's chin on a DaVinci book cover in store window on 4th & 12th. Store is called Alabaster

2/17

Odd red-headded woman walking strangely on the street- walking too fast leaning forward walking East.

My son oddly frightened of a red-headed woman in a cartoon called "Little Bill"

2/17

A woman was talking on the phone saying "crashing?Photoshop crashing?" on 11th street outside of the post office

File Under... Things To Do

Ok. So this is something called "Harried Walking".

Here's how it works:

Step one: look for signs, and write them down.

Throughout the day, or week, or whatever time period makes sense, take note of objects or events that present themselves to you as "signs". This could be anything. The point is that you be on the look-out for signs and make note of them. For example: yesterday out of the blue, I was making fun of the movie K-Pax with Kevin Spacey, saying that it was about an alien who was "paying it forward". Last night on Saturday Night Live, they mentioned the movie K-Pax and said that it was an under-appreciated classic (or something like that). Is this a sign? I don't know, but it stands out as something definitely out of the ordinary at the least. So I'm writing in my Harried Walking journal: "K-Pax / Kevin Spacey". Here's another example of another potential sign: There is a small park outside of my studio window. There is a bust statue in the park facing east. There are three plastic chairs in the park. Two of the chairs have been blown over by the wind and both are facing east. I'm writing in my Harried Walking journal: "a bust of a man and two vacant chairs pointing east." Again, I have no idea that this is truly a sign and even if it is, I have no idea what that means. But, it seems strange anyway. So I write it down.

Step two: follow the signs.

The next step puts your notes into use. Heres what you do: go for a walk, or a drive, or whatever, but make sure you have no pre-defined destination or course. Instead, use the signs from your journal as a guide book or a map. For example, If I decided to go on a Harried Walk right now, I would first go east because of the 3 east facing indicators from the park. I would probably go 2 blocks (the empty chairs) and then look for a man on the third block. Maybe there's a few men. How do I choose which one to notice? Maybe one looks a lot like Kevin Spacey? I would choose him, follow him or watch him for a clue to the next direction. Maybe he's giving directions to someone and pointing north. So I go that way.

If anyone who reads this, tries it, PLEASE let me know. If I get a chance to do it, I'll post my findings here.