Finding time to assemble a playlist this month has been tight. It’s been another good and busy month and my listening time has been limited to the gym where I’ve been mostly devouring podcasts instead.
One which took my interest most of all concerned trails – you know, the kind that you hike. I’d previously never considered the planning and work that goes into creating the many paths that stretch across national parks the world over, but of course they don’t just happen. They’re just made to look natural. The National Parks Service of America has guidelines which steer their creation. Every factor is considered – sights, difficulty, safety, length. I’d always assumed that trails were hacked into place first, then given a difficulty scale afterward. On the contrary a trail is designated as difficult prior to its creation and might be steered via a steep rock incline intentionally to satisfy the challenge level. Once created, they are swept over to make them look “natural”. But one thing is consistent to all – a hiking trail is never an efficient way to get from point A to point B. That’s not the design requirement. It’s about the journey.
The podcast contrasts the design of hiking trails against experiments conducted using smile mould – specifically, an experiment where a map of Tokyo was created with population centres proportionally represented using oat flakes. Smile mould was then set forth and the results very closely resembled the Tokyo subway system, highly regarded as one of the most efficient subway systems in the world. In other words, the opposite design philosophy to a hiking trail.
I spent my twenties like slime mould, chasing goals via the quickest path I could navigate, not being distracted by sights along the way. My thirties were more of a hiking trail, taking in the sights, the sounds, the smells, the journey – in curious exploration. When and how I arrived at the destination was less important. It was also an exercise in learning patience. I was in a rush when I had more time, and content to take things as they came when I had less. Now it’s a mix according to the situation. Slime mould energy is returning to career goals, but life is still a beautiful and surprising hiking trail.
Navel-gazing and podcasts aside, I managed to find some musical gems this month too. From James Murphy’s unique vocals singing about Los Angeles rather than New York for a change, to the thumping Easy Money, and the synth-rich Punching Down.
