During the late ’80s and early ’90s, I was a lonely teenager. Shy, misunderstood, and bullied, I spent a lot of time running solo through my personal slice of American Suburbia. As you can imagine, I had a lot of time to think. Some of that thought was the obligatory contemplation of the meaning of life. Some of it was a negative rumination on what I perceived as my shortcomings. All of it laid the foundation of my love for self-examination and self-improvement.
One of my favorite pastimes was walking the train tracks that ran through the middle of my town. I loved how the rails converged in the distance, suggesting unknown places and the wider world beyond my small community. For an imaginative kid with dreams of escaping my limitations and abuse at home, the tracks were a symbolic reminder that someday I would get away from the darker parts of my childhood.
On my solitary journeys—stepping from railroad tie to railroad tie and always mindful of the possibility of oncoming trains—I gained a respect for dangers many of my peers ignored. Not just physical perils, but also the pitfalls of an unexamined life. Here are three lessons I learned from the rails that I want to impart to you.
Embrace Some Isolation
I have an affinity for abandoned places. Maybe I fell in love with them because of the time I spent alone as a youth. When we step away from the myriad distractions of populated areas, we can lower our defenses for a while. We can free up our minds for self-exploration.
We often consider only the downside of being alone. While prolonged isolation can be detrimental, making time to be by ourselves can help us reset and re-center on our priorities and overall well-being.
Think about it: train tracks are mostly abandoned even when they’re still in service. They sit and wait patiently to carry the intermittent heavy loads that rumble over their metal backs. We can equate this with our own lives: we should strive to take on burdens only occasionally, with a good portion of our time spent in self-care and contemplation.
This doesn’t mean we should all become hermits. But most of us could do with a good deal more “me time.” Even if you just find a quiet place in your house for ten minutes, or go on a short walk around your neighborhood, you will do yourself some good.
Abandoned places also remind us that nothing is permanent. Rather than see this as a negative, it can also be a liberating thought. Change can wipe the slate clean. This was a comfort to me when I felt like my torments would never end. Nothing lasts forever. While you can, savor the good and say goodbye to the bad.
Become the Observer
The areas near train tracks tend to be partially hidden by lower elevations, trees, and other obscuring features. These aspects of the landscape naturally create solitude, which also allowed me to step back and take a relaxed look at my life and the world. It gave me a chance to get some much-needed perspective. I could take time to look at things more logically.
In those moments of relative objectivity, I became what I called The Observer. It was as if I was a being from another world, or at least a different person. I imagined what this Observer would see when looking at me. He could see me clearly, and impart that clarity to me. I could then view myself without toxic self-judgment and the criticisms of bullies or disapproving family.
Being The Observer also allowed me to see the interconnectedness of the world. This was vital for me, given how prone we can be to focusing on our divisions. Seeing the commonalities between people, the similarities that exist alongside the differences, was—and still is—a source of hope.
“Sweet” Some Small Stuff
At some point, most of us have been told “don’t sweat the small stuff.” This is good advice when it comes to the many little annoyances, frustrations, and worries we inevitably encounter every day. Indeed, we’re also told, “the devil is in the details.” But there’s also some divinity to be found in small positive details, if you look for them.
When I was on my rail walks, I would focus on tiny things we normally consider insignificant to daily life. These could include the intricate patterns of cracks in concrete, a procession of ants crawling over wood, or the veins in the underside of a leaf.
Noticing small things in the physical world is a mindfulness tool, a way to root ourselves in the present. It can also be a way to glimpse “small wonders” when we can’t seem to find gratitude about anything in our lives. Observing the tiny details around us is a pathway to seeing how life persists beyond our own troubles. They can hold us over until we find something more personal for which to be grateful, like the support of a close friend or an aspect of ourselves we appreciate.
So, definitely don’t sweat the negative small stuff, but do take time to sweet the small stuff that helps you appreciate the moment and focus on the positive.
Take a Walk
You don’t have to find the nearest train tracks to take advantage of the advice in this article. You can take a walk around the block or find a nearby slice of nature to stroll through. The important thing is to get moving and get out of the limiting headspace or life situation in which you find yourself. Even the briefest of escapes can provide some much-needed relief and respite.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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Photo copyright Anthony Simeone 2021