19 July 2010

A Childhood Walk

Here's something you might like to try. It's borrowed from www.zefrank.com/the_walk/

Think of a walk you regularly took as a child, to a bus stop, to a friend's house, along a paper route, along a trail through the woods.

Locate the beginning of that walk in Google Street View and move along the same route. If the walk isn't covered by Street View just imagine yourself going on that walk. You might also try the Bird's Eye view on Bing Maps.

From time to time stop and look around you and try and focus on what it feels like to take that walk. If a memory of a moment comes to mind, write it down. Take a screenshot of that place.

I tried the walk from home to school and was again impressed at how narrow the roads were. Most of the shops were no longer there or boarded up.

You could try it for an ancestor too. What was their walk to school or church like? Was it really uphill both ways?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The walk to school conjures up the feel of the snow, rain and wind as one experienced the elements. Perhaps some will remember the "parade" of people getting on at each stop as a public or school bus went along its route. I wonder who recalls their first walk independent of family? Bicycle rides too, can have memories of scenery now changed.
Anne S.