Eric Ott

4-13-04

Eng. 380

Walking by Thoreau

Living much out of doors, in the sun and wind, will no doubt produce a certain roughness of character—will cause a thicker cuticle to grow over some of the finer qualities of our nature, as on the face and hands, or as severe manual labor robs the hands of some of their delicacy of truth. So staying in the house on the other hand may produce a softness and smoothness, not to say thinness of skin, accompanied by an increased sensibility to certain impressions. Perhaps we should be more susceptible to some influences important to our intellectual and moral growth, if the sun had shone and the wind blown on us a little less; and no doubt it is a nice matter to proportion rightly the thick and thin skin. But methinks that is a scurf that will fall off fast enough—that the natural remedy is to be found in the proportion which the night bears to the day, the winter to the summer, thought to experience. There will be so much the more air and sunshine in our thoughts. The callous palms of the laborer are conversant with finer tissues of self-respect and heroism whose touch thrills the heart, than the languid fingers of idleness. That is mere sentimentality that lies abed by day and thinks itself white, far from the tan and callus of experience.

The Outdoorsmen by Eric Ott

Spending your time out in the grasps of nature, in hot and cold, will produce a bold person-- a true sense of being will be realized, as hands will blister, faces burn and sweat drip down like a leaking faucet. On the opposite spectrum are those who work indoors with a calm complexion, soft smooth skin, and controlled atmosphere, locked into the world that they create for themselves. Maybe we should listen with cocked back ears and attentive eyes to all around, for the heat and cool could subside; and we must even out the proportion of the outdoorsman and the comfort man. But I think this is rather far fetched-as the natural remedy is to be found in all proportions as cool nights bring warm days, reason to truth, and experience to happiness. Our feelings and emotions will explode like a bomb when this is realized. The working mans calloused hands and sweating brow are always looked upon with higher regards, just as heroes in wars, compared to those who sit in the office under their perfect conditions. It is a but a dream of those office workers to be looked upon so highly, so diligently; but they realize they are nowhere close to being the true working man.