"My greatest skill has been to want but little."
I love that quote by Henry David Thoreau. It reminds me to find enjoyment in the small things and to think more about the simple things I really need rather than everything I think I have to have.
Thoreau was a smart and educated man who was unhappy working in business or teaching before he became a writer. He eventually built a small cabin in the woods on the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau planned on living alone in his cabin as an experiment. He would write full time with only a large vegetable garden to support him. During his time living in the woods, Thoreau took hikes and observed the beauty of nature around him. Every once in a while, Thoreau would visit the village a mile away to visit family or to buy something. Thoreau loved waking up to birds singing and spending long hours in the sun. He finally found happiness living a life in nature's glory with little need for money.
Thoreau wrote beautiful ideas about discovering joy in simple living and nature's beauty that still inspire people up to this day.
P.S. From Jane: I too enjoy this lighter take on Thoreau's Walden...lots of the great quotes + concepts without all of the dense language. :) Though graphic novels aren't our usual mode of education, it can be nice to throw a little variety into the mix on occasion. Graphic novels are never substitutes for primary sources, but can lend a little perspective to the spirit of some of these literary giants + historical periods. My girls + I move through history + literature from ancient to modern times three times from kindergarten through twelfth grade. One time we'll read the novel itself, and one time we might read a graphic novel as an introduction or review. A few more educational graphic novels we've included in our mix along the way:
-Lies in the Dust: A Tale of Remorse from the Salem Witch Trials by Jakob Crane
-Poe: Stories and Poems by Gareth Hinds
-(Gareth Hinds has also written graphic novels on ancient literature + Shakespeare plays.)
-In the younger years, we found the Shakespeare Can be Fun books helpful.
We love the library!