I was reminded of how valuable wandering is while driving to a town located two hours away. Google Maps suggested I turn onto a road I had not been on previously, but given it was paved, I ventured down. Enroute, I twice encountered deer, prior to arriving at a T-intersection. Do I turn left or right?
As I viewed the landscape to the left, I noticed what I initially thought were common Canada Geese grazing in an undulating field, but the necks seemed longer than usual. I turned in that direction, and parked so that I could review my location and make an informed decision as to which course I should take. Yet while I was figuring this out, I kept looking at these ‘geese’, curious as to what they were. A few telephoto lens-enabled photographs confirmed that they were not geese, but I had no idea what they could be. Later on, with the help of my birder wife, we identified the two birds as Sandhill Cranes, a species I have only previously encountered once or twice.
The value of wandering hit home again. By taking both backroads and allowing serendipity to steer the car at times, I came across interesting wildlife which I would not have seen had I travelled down the usual highways.
This perspective was confirmed later on as I sought out a potentially noteworthy Conservation Area, although it was a 15-minute detour (half hour return). I detected my mindset had changed as I was now driving to a specific destination. Not relaxed at all. I had a goal in mind, and as it turns out, saw nothing.
The experience echoes the insights of a creative, award-winning photographer who I follow on Instagram. When I asked him if he equates his photographic mindset with wandering, he responded affirmatively:
Wandering is at the heart of my approach to taking pictures. I set out with no preconceptions about what I might shoot, or even where. I want to be surprised. If I am, it is likely that the viewer will be too. I randomly follow my nose when walking about: shall I go right or left out the front door? It doesn’t matter to me. Wherever I wind up, my goal is to simply be present. There is ‘photographic material’ everywhere, because it is much less about the subject than about being open to what is in front of me. Wandering requires letting go of any agenda, having faith that wherever you land, there will likely be something worthwhile.
If we unpack his comments, we note wandering is:
- A core approach / philosophy
- Enables being present, in the moment
I missed out on all of these attributes two summers ago when I undertook a solo three-week drive to a far distant National Park that was on my bucket list. I purposely planned stops enroute, eventually getting to the park, a location which greatly disappointed me. In fact, I never enjoyed the journey there, or back, for it was all goal specific driving. My wandering was limited, so I never got to experience serendipity.
Similar characterization applies when we consider education versus learning. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, they are very different. The former is the goal driven, anxiety producing activity we are all so accustomed to. Wandering and lateral thinking skills are rarely used, whether it be due to administrative rubrics and/or intended learning outcomes, or from a personal lack of confidence, a fear of the unknown or turning one’s back on the status quo. As students, our minds move from Point A to Point B in the most efficient and effective means possible. That we pick up little enroute is of no concern. After all, it’s the diploma – the certificate of completion – that we’re after.
Learning is the result of reaching a destination, in time, but via Point R, Point D, Point, G, and possibly other detours in between. Learning allows ourselves to be open to what comes our way, rather than reacting to what others have advised us to do.
The Spanish call this vacilando, which suggests that when one wanders or travels, the journey is more important than the ultimate destination. The act affords us the freedom to think for ourselves rather than simply (and often mindlessly) following what others have said to be true. Wandering enables us to search for a truth which lies beyond existing societal norms. I wish to come back to that point soon.
This morning, I read about Canadian singer/songwriter Alexandra Hughes, who goes by Allie X. She has had middling success within the music industry, but she found it dehumanizing and demoralizing, something that she hopes will change because it’s unnecessary. Her response is to find another way. She reminds me of the Australian singer, Judith Durham, who left the popular group The Seekers out of frustration of how controlling others were, and her need to find herself and her own creativity.
In Hughes’ case, she solely created and produced her latest album, noting how its compilation was very liberating and fulfilling as she took on producing a whole record, a project she had never tried before but trusted her own instincts, believing she could do something that originated from within.
She celebrates her vulnerability and liberation noting “the project was a chance for me to really let what’s weird about me be seen and be heard in a way that maybe it hadn’t before.” 1
Said differently, Hughes wandered away from what’s deemed normal. Rather, she put her own trust in becoming uncomfortable, embracing curiosity, and discovering connections from unexpected sources, across disciplines and experiences. Her approach echoes the sentiments of a mature former student who noted, “We each take different approaches to our one shot at life. To experience a meaningful life, you must journey down dark, scary, unknown paths that will entail tests of strength and willpower, tenacity and courage, willingness and faith, trust, and surrender.”2
American author Louis L’Amour connects wandering and learning in his novel Education of a Wandering Man.3 L’Amour left school after the tenth grade for economic reasons, wandering and working around the world. Trading in education for learning, he relied on reading a series of pocket-sized Little Blue Books4 which covered such subjects as: classical and contemporary literature, science, philosophy, history, religion, health, self-improvement, and biography. Many of the titles were reprints or condensed versions of classics, others were unconventional expose or critical attacks on the status quo with many written by experts in their fields.
Notice how L’Amour wandered across disciplines, not restricting his learning to one particular field. Today, students who take interdisciplinary studies broaden their understanding, enabling analogies to emerge from one subject when addressing a situation from another.
Not surprisingly, L’Amour encourages us to become wandering readers. His message is one that is now only starting to percolate within higher education circles. Education and learning do not have to be tied to schools, universities, and professors who tend to focus on existing insights rather than encouraging students to think and learn independently. Education is available to anyone within reach of a library, post office5, or even a newsstand (pre-Internet).
To wander is to pass through a secret portal to another plane of existence. For me, it’s a purposeful move away from the preliminal, the ordinary, into a liminal state whereby we temporally separate ourselves from the norm. It is here that we can realize the existence of a sweet spot between the known and the unknown, a place we can linger in, so long we don’t panic in our attempts to find it.6
A dictionary defines a sweet spot as the particular situation, quality, and combination of things that is the best and / or most effective. Said differently, the sweet spot is the result of finding out, of testing, of experimenting, of exploring. It’s where you contentedly land up without knowing that’s where you need to be. Wandering and learning allows us to temporarily hang out with the unknown, a positive response to the straight jackets we sometimes find ourselves in. The more we do it, the better we get at it.
How often do you aimlessly wander? If you are like most other people, the answer is almost never. We have places to be and we drive, bus, train and walk with purpose to get there. But what if you allowed yourself to just go where curiosity led you? It’s deeply rejuvenating! I’m not talking about those situations where your specific aim is to create clarity on your decision making and you commit an entire day out of the year to wander.7 I’m referring to enveloping wandering into your daily life. Forget the one-offs. This is about addressing our shadow, our other.
For me, one of the best features of wandering is challenging society’s established rules, norms, and expectations. It pushes beyond the existing threshold, with our head held up high. This can be deemed a confrontation (something many of us avoid) – with what’s gotten us so far, and what needs to move us beyond. It’s what lies outside that threshold that matters most.
The resulting sense of freedom enables us to turn our back on standardized, conforming lifestyles (and systems). But that’s threatening too, as we find ourselves questioning what we should do, how far do we move away from the norm8. The answer may lie in the words of a highly successful leader in the Australian Holiday Park industry who responded to a research question of mine regarding innovation. At the time I was so surprised to hear what he was saying, given his successful competitive position near the top of the industry at that time. He related how he/we wanted to be different from the others, but not too different. He still needed his customers to recognize the overall offering, and not reinvent what it was that he was all about.
At the time, I found his message to be somewhat odd, as it did not fit with what I had understood innovation entailed. Years later, I still recall that one comment, and how profound it is. We need to find the sweet spot in the education – learning continuum, recognizing that its position will frequently change, depending on who, what, how, and, most importantly, why. Wandering will enable us to find out where that sweet spot is, so long we let go and allow weaker signals to inform us.
To wander is to invite creativity, to allow serendipity, and to ponder other options.
