Since mid-summer, our twice-daily walks with Muttley the Dog have taken place in the Big Woods behind our house, rather than on the rural, gravel road where we had previously walked. This morning, as Muttley and I were meandering slowly down a deer-made path to one of the cedar groves, I reflected on the differences between the two sorts of walks. Rural gravel roads are nice enough -- trees line the road, the horses in the nearby corral are generally good for a laugh, and sometimes passing neighbors stop for a friendly chat. But a walk in the Big Woods is an entirely different level of experience. Winding paths with an uneven tread require a slow, deliberate pace (unless you enjoy ending up face down in the leaves) and that slow pace allows time for the environment to make itself known. There's time to notice edible Chanterelles a hundred yards from the back door and red-topped toadstools straight out of a fairy tale. There's time to stand still and hear the raindrops hitting the maple leaves and to notice that the ground is almost always bone dry under the cedar trees. There's time to see where the raccoon trails go and the locations of the Douglas Fir cone middens where squirrels sit to strip the seeds from the cones.
The distinction between the two sorts of walks got me thinking about a recent comment from a dear friend that Wal-Mart and the other big box stores might be good because they're efficient and everything costs less. I wonder. Are price and efficiency really the only pertinent considerations? Or is it worth asking what sorts of goods Wal-Mart and the other big box stores sell? Are their products beautiful, functional, and long-lasting? Where do those products come from? What does it cost the planet to make those goods and ship them around the globe? Are company employees paid a living wage? Do they receive decent health benefits? Do company profits enrich the local community? Are communities healthier and more vibrant before or after the big box store moves in?
Could it be that patronizing the big box stores is akin to striding efficiently down the straight, flat, sterile gravel road, missing all the sounds, the smells, the twists and turns of the un-roaded Big Woods? Is true value being sacrificed in the name of price -- is there greater pleasure elsewhere?
Today's front yard critter count:
Raccoons: 5 (Crabby Mama and her 3 teenagers; the New Guy)
Deer: 0
