Maryland by Natalia

Maryland by Natalia - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

I’d like to imagine Henry David Thoreau and I eating a nice picnic dinner by Walden Pond. Although Thoreau would be very confused with pretty much everything going on around him, he would carry out an interesting conversation. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be fun to watch him freak out over technology and food (because it would), I’m just saying his thoughts were so profound and revolutionary that I would want to discuss his ideas and listen to his advice face to face.
I recently read Thoreau’s novel Walden, and I loved it. I was inspired by the way that Thoreau saw the world and thought about life. One quote, specifically, will stick with me forever: “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours”. In this quote, Thoreau says that if you chase your dreams with confidence, you will find happiness and success. To me, this really stuck out, especially after his entire novel tried to convince me of his beliefs, because I didn’t necessarily agree with his ideas of living in the woods without any amenities or modern technology. Despite this clash of ideals, his emphasis on just being yourself made me feel empowered and hopeful. Upon reading his book, I think Thoreau could dish some serious advice and inspiration, both of which I could use.
Aside from Walden, I studied some other Thoreau works and the transcendentalist movement itself. I love transcendentalism as a proponent for self-acceptance, individualism, and nature conservation, and think that Thoreau is the most phenomenal figure of all the transcendentalists. In this world of pressure, technology, hatred, and environmental abuse, Thoreau’s ideals are refreshing and poignant Hopefully, when we’re having dinner, he would push me even further to make a change and chase my dreams-- because, let’s be honest, we could all use some more pushing in that direction.
Henry David Thoreau would be the best dinner date. He’d rant about technology, modern day luxuries, and conformity. He’d dish some fascinating advice on being myself, making a difference, and finding happiness. But most of all, he’d inspire me. And his real life inspiration is something I could never get from a book.