[encore] 647: Walking Across Fire Island by Shelley Wong

Summary

Summary of The Slowdown Episode 647: “[Encore] Walking Across Fire Island” by Shelley Wong

Release Date: May 21, 2025
Host: Ada Limón (Encore Episode)
Poem: "Walking Across Fire Island" by Shelley Wong

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Introduction to Walking as a Reflective Practice [00:22 - 04:10]

In this encore episode, former host Ada Limón delves into the personal and transformative practice of walking, weaving her narrative seamlessly with Shelley Wong's evocative poem, "Walking Across Fire Island."

Personal Journey with Walking: Ada begins by expressing her profound connection to walking, describing it as a vital tool for recentering and self-discovery. She shares poignant memories from her youth in Northern California, recounting long walks from her home in Glen Ellen to Sonoma Regional Park with her beloved yellow lab, Dusty. These walks served as a sanctuary, allowing her to disconnect from daily stresses and reconnect with nature.

Teenage Transformation: A particularly impactful moment in Ada's narrative occurs during her teenage years. When faced with her stepmother's insistence to eschew television in favor of taking a walk, Ada initially resents the directive. However, the experience proves cathartic: "I felt like my brain was emptying. All the gossip and politics of junior high unstuck itself from my skin" (03:10). This revelation cements walking as a cornerstone of her emotional well-being, a practice she diligently maintained through high school and college.

Walking in Adulthood: Transitioning to her adult life, Ada parallels her walking habits across different geographies—from the oak-lined paths of California to the bustling boardwalks of New York's Gasworks Park. Her commitment remains unwavering, highlighting walking's role in fostering mindfulness and presence. She poignantly states, "You simply have to put your body into the world and something happens" (04:00), emphasizing the intrinsic value of movement without a predetermined agenda.

Exploration of "Walking Across Fire Island" by Shelley Wong [04:10 - 04:40]

Ada introduces Shelley Wong's poem as a harmonious blend of reverence for nature and introspective reflection. She appreciates how the poem captures the subtle yet profound changes that occur within the mind during a walk, particularly when encountering wildlife and contemplating one's place in the broader tapestry of existence.

Notable Excerpts from the Poem:

• "The ocean crashes and the bay rolls in. Planks creak along the boardwalk as a deer emerges underneath, umbrellas open like a sudden fruit." (04:20)
• "I inhale salt air as fog lifts off the brush."

These lines exemplify the poem's vivid imagery and its ability to transport the reader into a serene, almost meditative state, mirroring Ada's own experiences with walking.

Conclusion and Reflection

Ada's heartfelt narration underscores the universal appeal of walking as a means of grounding oneself amidst life's chaos. By sharing her personal anecdotes and seamlessly integrating Shelley Wong's poetry, she invites listeners to find solace and inspiration in their daily walks. The episode serves as a testament to the enduring power of poetry and reflection in fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

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Notable Quotes:

• "When in doubt, I hit the road. Get out of myself." — Ada Limón [03:50]
• "You simply have to put your body into the world and something happens." — Ada Limón [04:00]
• "I inhale salt air as fog lifts off the brush." — Shelley Wong, "Walking Across Fire Island" [04:25]

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This episode of The Slowdown beautifully encapsulates the symbiotic relationship between personal reflection and poetic expression, encouraging listeners to embrace walking as a daily ritual for mental and emotional nourishment.

Transcript

[A]

Hi there. It's major Today. We're reaching into the archives to bring you an episode from Ada Limone's time as host. I'm thrilled to revisit one of her episodes with you. And don't worry, the team is hard at work on a relaunch with a new host.

[B]

I'm Ada Limon, and this is the Slowdown. I love to walk when I'm healthy and mobile enough to walk. It's one of my favorite things to do to recenter myself, or rather de center myself. Growing up in Northern California, I could walk from my house in Glen Ellen to the Sonoma Regional park, the back way through the oak trees with a short path that trespassed on private property. I'd walk for hours there with my dog, a yellow lab named Dusty. Later, when I was a teenager, I remember once my stepmother didn't love the fact that I came home from school and immediately turned on the tv. So she told me to just go for a walk to get out of the house. I was so mad at her. And so despite her, I did as she told me. I went for a hike and a horrible thing for my teenage self happened. She was absolutely right. I felt so much better among the trees and high grasses, and even as I watched carefully for rattlesnakes and mountain lions, I felt like my brain was emptying. All the gossip and politics of junior high unstuck itself from my skin, and I was reminded that I was part of something larger than school or friend groups or someone I had a crush on. From then on, I'd walk many days after school, and I did so through high school and then through college, walking down to Gasworks park almost every day, watching the boats and seagulls pass by. Even in the rain, I'd walk. New York was the same. I once walked from Battery park to Central park all all while lugging a backpack with the Norton Anthology of Poetry in it. For me, it's a solution to many things. When in doubt, I hit the road. Get out of myself. Of course, it doesn't always work, and there were whole years when I was too sick with vertigo to properly go for a walk. But when it works, it really does work. You don't have to have a plan. You don't have to go fast or go slow. You don't have to know the names of all the fauna and flora. You simply have to put your body into the world and something happens. One of the reasons I love today's poem is how it's an ode to walking a reverential description of how the brain changes when we encounter animals and ourselves during the journey. Walking across Fire island by Shelley Wong the ocean crashes and the bay rolls in. Planks creak along the boardwalk as a deer emerges underneath, umbrellas open like a sudden fruit. I I inhale salt air as fog lifts off the brush. Here I can let the deer know me. The day trippers have sailed and the sun is falling. My friend Nina once said deer are dumb. I hear the Atlantic on two sides the sister ocean to look and and not think about looking Dear or gentle friend or mothering question Perpetual guest Long Island Duchess beach hostess I am in a floating year. They must all be related by now. The dear like beaches. I imagine a deer walking out of the ocean, the water returning to me as it always will.

[A]

The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. This project is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. On the [e-mail] to get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter. And find us on Instagram atdowndownshow and blueskylodownshow.org.