Once upon a time the I walk it had the sacred dimension of pilgrimage. The prize? Heaven, of course. Today, the sociologist and anthropologist David Le Breton writes, whoever sets out, whether for a day or a month, often does so from a profane perspective, in search of a “completely earthly” paradise: the reappropriation of oneself, the pacification of inner chaos, the return to one’s center of gravity. “Sometimes it takes just one hour in a wood or in the city, near the sea or on the hills, to lead us infinitely far away, and yet to the heart of ourselves, and to give the impression, once back, that we see ourselves more clearly” (To walk. In praise of paths and slowness, David Le Breton). It is no coincidence that this sense of pacification and inner clarity is also described by Cheryl Strayed at the end of the long journey told in the book Wildwhich later became the film starring Reese Witherspoon: a solo trek along over 1760 kilometers of the Pacific Crest Trail at the age of 26 in search of the proverbial rebirth after a turbulent divorce and the untimely death of his mother. Looking for inspiration in another epic story, there’s Emma Gatewood’s: mother of 11 children, grandmother, ex-wife of a violent man, the first woman to walk the 3,300 kilometers of the Appalachian Trail on her own. east coast of the United States. The venture dates back to 1955: Gatewood is 67 years old and leaves home with a change of clothes and little money in his pocket. Just for a walk, she says she.
Stories like these aren’t that unusual (anymore). Beyond the adventures that become famous, the “firsts” of memoirs and films, the truth is that for anyone the journey can become a cure, a lifeline, a breath of fresh air in an asphyxiating everyday life or simply weighed down by thoughts and commitments. Today there are many women who, driven by these motivations, set out on a journey, alone or in company. Lots of them. Word of Ilaria Canali, founder of National Network of Women on the Way and the social community Girls in Leg. The two realities are faces of the same project born in 2019, which today collects over 70 thousand members and has the ambition to promote female empowerment through walking. The idea began to take root when, after a few years in Belgium and Germany, Canali returned to Italy and moved to Formello, «a small town close to Rome that is lucky enough to be on the Via Francigena. In this way I discovered the existence of these pilgrimage routes and I decided to dedicate myself to promoting the world of paths, which at the time was not yet as popular as it is today “, she says. “I had the impression, and then I had the confirmation, that we women were the real creators of a new movement of passionate about walking, even if often in institutional meetings and panels dedicated to the topic it was the male figures who were predominant . Was it because they didn’t realize how numerous, important and good women were? So I decided to create the association ».
What kind of women are in the community?
“There are women of all ages, even 80 or 85, but most of them are between 40 and 55. They are people with a passion for communication, sharing and art, sensitive, very attentive to issues such as environmental sustainability and inclusion. The community is a place for sharing, helping and listening to each other, but what distinguishes it from other online groups is that there is a bridge between virtual and real: the people who communicate online then have the intention of walking together, of seeing each other. “.
Why the walk as a tool for female empowerment?
«The path has always been connected to philosophy. Walking facilitates thinking and is a way to grow in the head, in thought, in internal dialogue and with others. This certainly helps empowerment, which is a word for personal flowering. When you manage to finish a journey you transform, you become more confident, you return to your daily and working life respecting and making you respect more. Walking does not change the world, but it can change us, little by little “.
Is it more common for women in communities to experience walking in groups or alone?
«It happens in both ways, but it strikes the imagination more when women say they did it alone. It is still a novelty, in a sense, even if it is a trend that is growing a lot, especially after the pandemic. However, the desire to walk together remains very strong, in fact the Network was also created to put people who want to share an experience in contact ».
In your opinion, why has the pandemic increased the aptitude for walking alone?
“It’s a question I constantly ask women in the community. In general, taking a path there is the desire to redefine and recalibrate after a separation, after a stoppage in the career path, after losing orientation … Covid has complicated things from many points of view; therefore, there is more need to be alone, to refocus ».
Beyond connecting women who want to exchange information or walk together, there are also other services and initiatives promoted by the Net. What’s on the agenda now?
«It must be said, first of all, that the red thread that binds all the initiatives is to give a voice to unknown women who have something to tell. With this in mind, the Girl in Gamba Festival in March 2021 was born, for example, but also the Pilgrim Literary Relay (a collective paper diary written and passed from hand to hand by pilgrims along the Via Francigena, ed). Even in the book that I wrote, Sentimental guide to the paths of Italy, due out in May for Altrigianato, I give the floor to many women on the way. Regarding the upcoming upcoming events, we will be present at the Fa ‘la cosa causa fair. In the longer term, we have the dream of organizing a trip to the United States and being the first Italian women to walk the Appalachian Trail. The idea was born when I wrote the guide inside the book The lady of the Appalachians. Grandma Gatewood, alone along America’s most famous trail (Terre di Mezzo editore), a beautiful and fascinating story and also an example of female empowerment. Despite all the investigations I have done, among the Italians I have found only three men who have made this journey, but no women ».
An interesting feature that distinguishes the Net is that it emphasizes personal flowering, not performance.
«To explain how true this is, I’ll tell you this fact: I would have loved to have calculated the total kilometers traveled by all the women in the community, but I’ve never been able to. Whenever I tried to ask for this, most people’s response was: “I don’t know how many kilometers I’ve walked, I don’t care about performance”. Instead, there is a very generous response when I propose more poetic and personal questions. The revolution we are carrying out is that of promoting a flowering process that does not correspond to the growth that society has decreed as winning, but to what each one believes to be his or her own source of happiness and vocation “.
Source: Vanity Fair
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