Planetwalker

The Planetwalker Companion Discussion, Study, & Activity Guide The Planetwalker Companion is a discussion, study, and activity guide intended for use by the general reader, book clubs, students, educators, and anyone interested in entering into deep reflection about the world as it is, how s/he fits into it, and in exploring how s/h/we can change the world to raise environmental consciousness and promote environmental stewardship. We hope that this guide will contribute to a global sense of community and help you in your individual and collective inner and outer pilgrimages through life. We invite you to email us at the Planetwalk Web site to share your stories of pilgrimage and to create a living document that both chronicles and shapes the ways in which we live our lives: www.planetwalk.org. Introduction 1. Read Thomas Merton's quote at the start of the Introduction. Why is it better to have both the inner and outer pilgrimage? 2. John describes his pilgrimage as having a 'geography'. What are the 'geographical' elements of the inner pilgrimage? 3. What does John mean when he says that "the ultimate justification in acting is primarily delivered out of the experience of acting" (p. 9)? What is John trying to justify? Action Step (p. 24): On your first long walk, comfortable athletic shoes will do. Carry a light pack. As you add to the miles you walk in a day, and the weight you carry, invest in hiking shoes that cushion and support your feet. Dress in layers and bring water, an energy snack, a small flashlight, and a few Band-Aids TM to help prevent and treat the inevitable blister. Enjoy the journey. Chapter 1. Oil and Water: When Worlds Collide 1. Drawing from your own experience, empathize with John in his response to the 1971 Standard Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay. Can you relate to the feeling that something (drastically life changing) must be done (by you) in response to a tragedy or series of events? 2. John says that the efforts of rescue workers trying to save oil-soaked birds were 'seemingly fruitless' (p. 13), but they seemed to inspire him nonetheless. How did John's experience of seeing these volunteers influence his eventual thinking and decision to stop driving and riding in cars? 3. What possible effects might John's 'disconnected year' (p. 17) in the sanitarium have had on his sense of connection to or detachment from the world and how might it have prompted him to contemplate his place in the scheme of things? 4. On page 17, John relates that once he was able to read and write, school no longer held much interest for him, and that 'what seemed more important was how the world worked and how (he) fit into it'. How has your own academic education helped you understand how the world works and how you fit into it? 5. John recalls his childhood growing up in urban Philadelphia with his immediate and extended family and visiting his Aunt Sadie and Uncle Luke in Harmony Village, Virginia. How might these early experiences of John's have influenced his views of the world? 6. How did Jerry Tanner's death tip the scales of action for John (and Jean) to walk? Re-read what John writes about their early walking experiences. What is it about these experiences that might have contributed to John's eventual decision to give up cars and other fossil fuel-powered vehicles? Chapter 2. Living on the Road: Up in Smoke 1. What are the contrasting experiences of limitation and opportunity that John encounters as he makes his commitment to 'life on foot'? How does he deal with them? 2. What are the pivotal moments and realizations in John's early journey as he moves from outer to inner exploration and back again? 3. How do the several meetings with people who offer John a ride challenge him to continue his quest? In what new ways do they help him to understand his piFrancis, John is the author of 'Planetwalker', published 2008 under ISBN 9781426202759 and ISBN 142620275X.