Even though it’s been meandering gently along for almost four decades, you might not realise that today is ‘World Sauntering Day’.
Created on June 19th, 1979, by W.T. (Bill) Rabe, the aim of this annual and now international event is to encourage people to slow down, take in the wonders of the world around them, and savour the chance to truly appreciate them.
Sauntering is described as a leisurely style of walking, characterised by strolling along slowly, even aimlessly, but with a joyful disposition. Despite coining the idea for a day to celebrate sauntering, Mr Rabe was by no means the first to extol its virtues.
Other notable supporters of the saunter include noted American naturalist Henry David Thoreau, who wrote: “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least – and it is commonly more than that – sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.”
This quote neatly encapsulates another key aspect of sauntering; it is not just about a way of moving, but about freeing the mind from everyday cares and worries and allowing it to ‘wander’ as aimlessly as you are. The buzzword these days is “mindfulness” – you can buy books and DVDs about it and enrol on courses to learn how to practise it… or you could just go out for a saunter.
The resourceful Mr Rabe is said to have come up with the notion of a ‘sauntering day’ while working as a publicist for the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA. It was no coincidence that the hotel boasted the world’s longest porch, measuring 660 feet, and, as Mr Rabe discovered, it was an ideal spot to take a leisurely saunter.
Although Mr Rabe has since sauntered off into the great unknown, his son John told in a 2014 article how his late father explained that: “Sauntering is when you don’t care where you’re going, how you’re going, or when you will get there, paying attention to the world around you, smelling the roses.”
Mr Rabe is also said to have come up with the idea as an antidote to the craze for ‘jogging’ which swept across America in the 1970s and soon to other parts of the world, including the UK. According to a fairly derogatory description: “Jogging is a gruelling attack on movement, with rapidity and effort being the purpose at hand, and all joy being drained from getting around by making each step as painful as possible.”
Sauntering is the polar opposite, having no real aim at all, except perhaps to feel the weight of the world lifted from your shoulders and instead soak up the pure joy of ambling along and soaking up your surroundings. The runner will charge up a hill, head down, intent on achieving a record time. The saunterer will meander along, stopping frequently to take in the views, breathe in the clean air, smell the heather, not caring when he will reach the top, or even if he does at all.
While not one of the best-known ‘international days’, World Sauntering Day has stood the test of time and next year will mark its 40th anniversary. It also has a fair number of global devotees, carefree ‘saunterers’ happy to help others discover the simple joy of a saunter.
You will struggle to find a “Beginners Guide to Sauntering” or its imaginary sequel, “Superior Techniques for Advanced Saunterers”, or to sign up for a 10-week intensive course at your local college, leading to a Certificate in Sauntering. Instead it is a personal journey of discovery, a ‘suck it and see’ exercise.
Some are born saunterers, some grow into it, but those who work hardest at sauntering are least likely to achieve it. Neither do you need go it alone. Although solo sauntering certainly has its attractions, there’s nothing to stop you sauntering in the company others, so long as they are similarly inclined.
So with the world around us moving at a hectic pace, why not step briefly aside and let it pass you by at breakneck speed. Choose your own speed instead and step out for a saunter!