I never knew I’ll ever do this but listening to Steve a while ago and doing this afternoon walk, made me feel the importance of public spaces, of having a public life. I often value being in private, solitary, far from people. But without contact, relationships are impossible. No matter what political stand we hold, the truth is that we are stuck to each other. And being stuck in a nation, being stuck in this space and place, means I need to be with others. And there is a better way of being with others, which is really being around them, really understanding them.
In a way, CM’s work is existential. Anthropology is existential.
Even if walking is only methodology, it brings out other issues, issues relevant to enacting the method. How are our public spaces? Are they safe? Who occupies them? Are they designed in favor of one group and not of another? How can we create more inclusive public spaces?