Silke: So just … let me know, please, how the experience was for you on this Hiku Hike?
Ed: It’s a lovely experience. What I found is that it makes you aware of the quietness, and that the quietness has, basically, words in it – and they will come to you if you’re prepared to go quiet and to listen. And then … then also to use those words, to write them down. Because normally it will just pass right over you and you lose it. But to write them down, to capture those thoughts, those words that came to you is something that you’ve got, tangible, to look back on. And then the editing of those words, to use those words to actually create a poem. A writing of the experience, of that – it’s beautiful, it’s opening up your mind to a whole new world.
Silke: And you said earlier that you usually go to the beach and you are looking –
Ed: Ja, you know I love collecting stones and shells and stuff, I’m always going down to the beach looking for stuff, you’re like quite busy looking for shells and looking: where’s the next shell? And that’s it. [Laughs] … come back and you’ve got nothing. You might have a few shells, physical things, ja, but now – going down to the beach I can now look for shells, and also I can – if I’ve got a notepad and pen with me – I can also capture words that are going to come to me, or sentences … and I can use those, so it gives you more. It gives you, like – you can go to the beach, for example, and you can collect shells, but you can also collect words and thoughts and images and, like I said, it opens up a whole new world.
Silke: And you can come back with things that didn’t exist before. Things that you created.
Ed: Ja, that’s true. So I can find things that are material on the beach, sure, driftwood and shells and stuff, but I can also create things out of the nothing. Ja.
Silke: And did the creative, you know, when you jotted your different impressions and then chose to work on particular lines and words – how did you find that choice in the editing process? You know, where you actually sift through your impressions and choose certain ones – can you say a bit more about how that was for you?
Ed: Well, I realised I’m having to create a poem, so then I sifted through what all I’d written and then I had to choose one, because there were actually many poems that I discovered that I could use and write on – different poems, but I had to actually, like, wow, okay, I have to actually choose one here in this Hiku Hike that you wanted me to write down, I had to actually choose one of them, which I did, but I realised it also takes a bit of time – you know, I’ve got to spend more time on it. I can improve my poem that I’ve already written down, but there are also other poems there that I can work on if I choose to and that’s great. I think it gives you so much more, it takes away that noise in your head, it makes you go to the quiet, you know, use the quiet.
Silke: And take what comes to you seriously, rather than dismissing it because you’ve got other things to do.
Ed: Ja, it’s a great experience and I think everybody will benefit by doing something like this, it’s like I said: it opens up a whole new world.
Silke: Did it help you in any way specifically with your writing? Because you said to me you don’t write, people don’t write.
Ed: Yes, it has helped, because you tell me to write something – it is a bit foreboding, like, gee, what am I going to write about? But just to jot down little simple thoughts, that’s easy, anybody can do it –
Silke: Yes.
Ed: And it’s great and I actually need to carry a pen and a notebook with me, and just keep on doing that and capture those thoughts, because I realised they’re coming out of the world, they’re coming from God or they’re coming from wherever –
Silke: To you.
Ed: Ja. It’s important. Whereas before you don’t realise it – you’re just missing them, you’re missing out!
Silke: Missing your own thoughts.
Ed: Ja. [Laughs] It’s crazy hey!
Silke: [Laughs]
Ed: It sounds crazy, but ja, if you do the Hiku Hike … everybody should do it, then they’ll know what I’m talking about! [Laughs] Ja, this Hiku Hike I found it kind of gives you the tools, but there are no tools, it’s no physical tool, but it gives you the tools to plug in to more of life.
Silke: Mental tools.
Ed: Mental tools. It gives you those tools, exactly.
Silke: Language tools.
Ed: Like I say it’s crazy when you think about it. If I look in the future at what I’ve written down I’m going to think wow! where did these words come from? But they do, they come to you and it’s an amazing revelation to … to know that things will come to you and you will be directed.
Silke: If you put yourself deliberately into a relationship with your surroundings.
Ed: Ja. And you can do it all the time, with everything, wherever you go . It’s like trusting your intuition and just looking for the signs. And it’ll help you. They’re there.
Silke: And they’re the ones for you. You know, different people on the same walk will obviously be receptive to completely different things, depending on where they are at in themselves, in their lives. And that’s what’s so beautiful is that each one is given what they need.
Ed: Mm. And I think this Hiku Hike actually helps a person to plug into that world, to plug into that reality that’s there, but because of our busy minds we’re not aware of it. But it’s there.
/END
Thank you, Ed Low, for trying out a Hiku Hike, so we could have this chat :-)
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| Rocks on Sunrise-on-Sea beach, Amathole Coastal Resorts |
