Hello!
Have you ever seen a path made by many feet on a grassy patch of land? This path seems like the shortest route between two corners and is not formally a designated route but one created by humans (or animals) who wanted to wander, who did not fit into the established idea of what the formal path should be. Such paths are called desire paths.
City and infrastructure designers often pay special attention to desire paths. These paths are a conversation that the people living and frequenting that area speak through with those paying attention — these paths are the ways the population wants to walk in. These are the paths they desire.
It’s a showing with each step.
Near my new home, there is a canal. I was walking home one day and while the map showed me a direct concretised footpath to walk down, I veered right into the little path called “New River Path”. It wasn’t marked on the map but what I found there was a desire path.
A big sign outside the canal says that no one cleans this place, so don’t leave your litter here. The canal flows steadily. Near the gate a huge seagull (sometimes a swan) sits guarding the gate, often raising their wide wings and taking flight when they spot someone new approaching. Under the trees, the path is entirely shady, in all sense of the word. The path is narrow, allowing only a single file movement. There is something solitary about it yet freeing.
I followed it. The canal wasn’t as clean as it looked at the beginning. On the other bank, rows of small backyards lined that side of the canal with wooden fences. But these fences did not to deter the foxes that watched me pass, their gaze steady, eyeing this new intruder. Not hostile, but curious. Ducks sat swimming in the lake, floating gently, paddling like crazy underneath. When one rustled their feathers, I felt a stab of fear. Would they fly into me? Would they expect me to feed them crumbs like other kind hearted people? Is my heart kind hearted?
The path expands as I near the exit. There is grass for dogs to sprawl in, pets of humans, and kids to run around. A flock of pigeons and ducks swarm near the entrance and my irrational fear of birds rises, my heart is thudding in my chest. But kids, blessed kids, run amuck and scatter the birds and gather them near the bank trying to feed them. I hastily dash out of the path and onto a familiar street, the one next to my house.
Ever since, whenever I head in that direction I’ll take this path by the canal. Fewer people travel across it. Namarta is not too fond of it, but that’s okay. It’s my desire path, and not all desires can be shared.
I feel like much of my life is this, seeking out desire paths. Robert Frost’s Road Less Taken has been a compass while selecting the paths I’ve wound down on but I don’t want to remain one who takes the road less taken.
I want to built a path, desire it enough to make it so.
Akshay’s Updates
June remained topsy-turvey. But four major things happened:
My story “Reject” aired across the airwaves on The Moth Hour Radio. You can hear it here.
I got part time job as the Swing Regional Producer for The Moth StorySlams in London. Can’t wait to produce shows for The Moth!
Sometime during the month, I spoke with Catherine Evans, publisher at large at Inkspot publishing. We discussed what it’s like running a indie publication house and MIR online published that conversation as an interview. Read the interview here.
My essay on 5 Magical Activations by Your Fantasy Character is published by Fabled Planet. Read it here.
Somewhere in the month, Namrata and I visited Berlin. And we ate such delicious food!
Until next month,
Chart your own course,
Akshay