"see the sort of things we might see if we only looked for ourselves"

12 January 2021: "Thoreau's desire to elevate nature by featuring its most humble aspect is just one of many things that make me think of his work as modern, not dated or wishy-washy....Thoreau wasn't pushing us to see the world through his eyes, exactly as he saw it. Instead, he wanted us to see the sort of things we might see if we only looked for ourselves--including the interval he opened up between Walden and Walden." --Andrew Menard, Learning from Thoreau

My neighbor Ed, a Thoreau enthusiast, lent me this book. I started it yesterday and found myself appreciating how well Menard frames a point I try to make for students. He also touches on why Walden has been on peoples' minds (including my own) so much during these pandemic days, as we explore the ordinary world around us.