January 09, 2009
Intelligent Travel
Founding contributor and friend of 3QD, Marko Ahtisaari, in Joi Ito's Freesouls:
"Sometimes one must stop and sit by the roadside, and wait for the soul to catch up." −African proverb
For me, and certainly for many many others, Joi Ito is the model of the intelligent, social traveler. Whenever we think of Joi, we wonder what interesting city he might be in today, what great people he must be sharing a meal with, or whose photographic soul he is freeing at this very moment. But in the end we know we can always follow his digital traces online, and find the answers.
Tokyo today, San Francisco tomorrow, Amsterdam next week. And now playing: the first verse of Airport City by Giant Robot, singing a scene of cosmopolitan jet speed:
"Career is alright thank you for asking
Short notice no time for packing
Shuttle to the terminal traveling light
Last on the plane timing is right"Right now−seated as I am in business−lounge suburbia in the airport city of Heathrow, waiting for the flight home to finally board (not having quite the right timing à la Giant Robot)−right now seems a fitting time to reflect on the joy of travel, but also to imagine how much better it can get. In many ways, I want to celebrate the world that travel brings to me, as well as how happy I am to be going home.
More here. Also see "Dopplr appoints Marko Ahtisaari as CEO."
Posted by Abbas Raza at 04:34 AM | Permalink
Comments
What a lovely quote. Anyone know where I can find the original reference for this African proverb?
Posted by: Philip Graham | Jan 9, 2009 10:29:02 AM
Hi Philip,
Your favorite former student here. I've dug a little, and found the following:
Bruce Chatwin, in The Songlines, published in 1987, tells the following story:
"A white explorer in Africa, anxious to press ahead with his journey, paid his porters for a series of forced marches. But they, almost within reach of their destination, set down their bundles and refused to budge. No amount of extra payment would convince them otherwise. They said they had to wait for their souls to catch up." [Link to source.]
However, although the source above (and others as well) credit Chatwin with this story, it seems to have been written earlier, at least as early as 1949, in a book published by Douglas Steere called Time to Spare.
My search of African proverb databases turned up nothing even remotely resembling this quote.
Posted by: ghostman | Jan 9, 2009 7:00:39 PM
Ghostman, I wish Bruce Chatwin were still here for many reasons, but today I wish he were here to read your comment. Whatever he would have said would have been eligible for another proverb.
Posted by: Elatia Harris | Jan 9, 2009 7:44:04 PM
I'm all for throwing out clocks.
Posted by: Marilyn Terrell | Jan 9, 2009 9:05:23 PM
I once heard Sean Connery tell a similar story during a TV interview - not a proverb but an encounter with a traveler in Africa. (I forget which country.) Apparently, on his way back to town from an outdoor location, Connery passed a lone man trudging on the side of the road carrying a bundle on his head. He asked the driver to stop and ask if the man wanted a lift. The driver came back to report that the man had declined the offer saying, "I don't know what I would do with the time saved by going faster."
Posted by: Ruchira | Jan 9, 2009 10:24:16 PM
Thanks so much, Jason!
Posted by: Philip Graham | Jan 12, 2009 12:58:48 PM
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