Sarah Morgan
A wanderer, a meanderer. A flaneur.
In one way, I am a flaneur. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. A dilettante, a dabbler, an amateur this-and-that.
I am a baker, a painter, a fighter, a writer, a dreamer. But I am none of those things deeply, passionately, wholely, solely.
(Whether that makes me an interestingly well-rounded Renaissancer or a frustratingly inept flitter depends on the mood you catch me in when I’m describing it.)
In another way of thinking, though, I long to be a flaneur. I want to be the type of person who notices everything, who appreciates every moment. Who isn’t always rushing toward what comes next but glories in what’s here.
I try to notice things, but my instinct isn’t there. I’m more likely to be flying past the roses rather than smelling them – or tripping into the rosebush as I lose control of all I’ve got in my arms. I’m far better at it than I ever was, but it’s not a natural trait for me.
What – or who – or where – makes you slow down?
One of my favorite sayings is “Not all who wander are lost”. How true… I’m a wanderer. My online résumé is actually called “Jackie of all trades” but people don’t all get it, during an interview a would-be employer once said “aren’t you afraid people will think you’re name is Jackie?” And if there are roses along my way, I’d probably stop to eat them! :D
p.s. by the way, I think it should be “flâneuse” with an s but that’s only because my mom yelled it to me so much as a kid!
Thank you so much, I love knowing what the word really is. And I love that quote from Tolkien, too. Here’s to wanderers.