Yesterday, I heard someone say, "There are no paths; just steps." This
hits on something that Jeff brings up often (my apologies for
paraphrasing), "It doesn't matter where you are, where you go, or how you
get there; it's the steps that are important."
This new phrase seems to say Jeff's idea well. Instead of saying there are
many paths, one could say there are none. I picture walking through
trackless wilderness where there are no paths and yet you move forward and
are always get somewhere. Although there are many ways through the woods,
there are no paths. In such a case when moving through new territory, the
path is just an after effect of the steps that took place along the way.
"Path" implies that at least a few others have gone that particular way
before, something to follow. "Steps", on the other hand, emphasizes the
movement and the present time and place, and may or may not include the
paths of others. "Direction" almost works, but implies a constant
direction, a fixed goal, not the fluid changes that occur along the way of
any journey. . . . "Journey"? "Exploration"? These also imply an
uncharted movement to a vague destination. . .
. . . [ecosteps] ?
Eric Storm
