Thoreau's Journal - October 22nd, 1837

“What are you doing now?” [Emerson] asked. “Do you keep a journal?” So I make my first entry to-day.

SOLITUDE

To be alone I find it necessary to escape the present, — I avoid myself. How could I be alone in the Roman emperor’s chamber of mirrors? I see a garret. The spiders must not be disturbed, nor the floor swept, nor the lumber arranged.

The Germans say, “Es ist alles wahr wodurch du besser wirst.”

— Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 1837

The excerpt above is the first entry in Henry David Thoreau’s journal. He started a regular practice of journal writing on the advice of his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson. On October 22nd, 1837, Thoreau began his journal. He wrote almost continuously for the next 24 years, making his last entry just six months before his death.

I’m starting my own writing practice with this blog: “The Engineer’s Almanac”. My intention is to grow myself as a humanist, a naturalist, and a futurist. I’ve chosen these themes because they encapsulate my curiosities and concerns. I believe there are insights and interconnections to discover by examining humanity in the context of the natural world with an eye towards our future.

Thoreau quotes a German proverb in his journal entry which translates to “Everything through which we are bettered is true.” Like Thoreau, I believe writing will help better me. But unlike Thoreau, I’m not seeking solitude. I hope this blog is valuable to others as well and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone who is interested.