Arriving Now/here

~ A walking study as part of the Mapping A/r/tography SSHRC Research grant project (PI: Dr. Rita Irwin), at The University of British Columbia, April 2019.

As I walk, I remember Brian Massumi’s (2015) reflections in the book Politics of Affect. He speaks of a sense of vagueness that surrounds us, and how the feeling of being uncertain about where you might be able to go has the potentiality to lead you to focus on the process rather than the prospects of success or failure. This is precisely how I feel during my walks. Massumi (2015) explains how embracing the uncertainty is akin to leaving the door open for experimentation and brings a sense of “potential to the situation” (p. 3). Massumi (2015) encourages us to let go of the idea of arriving at the end of the path and instead linger in the trail. He brings our attention to potentialities that we can explore in the moment, at each step, rather than visualizing the larger picture of achieving a purpose. Practicing his way of thought, I start to concentrate on the path and what exists around me, instead of what I will face when my trail terminates. I realize that what matters more is being present where I am, not anywhere else.