Thoreau and the Goodness of People
Thoreau lived in a hut on Walden Pond for a bit over two years in the 1840s. His purpose was to find meaning by living as simply as he could amidst Nature, hoping to “learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” The resulting book, “Walden; or, Life in the Woods,” is an American classic, still in print. This is about Thoreau’s saying, that “goodness is the only investment that never fails.”
The story begins with the Beautiful Wife returning from her morning walk. She and her friends have done this for years, walking and talking. I marvel at how they never run out of words; they’re my best source of neighborhood news. This time she told me about a long-neglected house in the neighborhood I had thought vacant. It turns out someone had been living there, a grumpy old guy, a recluse who avoided human contact.
Fortunately, a neighboring couple got him to agree to the most minimal contact, a weekly wellness check they’ve done for years. At a recent check, he was gravely ill from consequences of diabetes, in need of immediate hospitalization, which was arranged. The man was a hoarder, the rooms stacked high with narrow aisles for his wheelchair. Over the years, appliances had stopped working, one by one, even the refrigerator. It was Thoreau in reverse but lived ‘inside’ the hut without the benefit of Nature or human contact. And perhaps he was in danger of Thoreau’s dilemma, that at death’s door, might realize “he hadn’t really lived.”
The good neighbors got his permission to clean out the house and return it to a livable condition while he convalesced. It was a big job, figuring out what to save and toss. Other neighbors joined in, and a small miracle began to take shape. Painters were engaged. A volunteer offered to make curtains. A used refrigerator and stove were found. The home, once a charming cottage, is being restored.
It’s a big change but our recluse, touched by the kindness of strangers, seems to be changing too. As I said, a small miracle is taking shape. Funds were needed to complete the work and the BW encouraged me to deliver a message around the neighborhood explaining what was happening and what was needed. Going door-to-door telling a story and asking for money is hard but in the process, I met many good people. Checks are flowing in. It looks like there’ll be enough.
For now, the givers and the receiver must be kept anonymous. It’s hard to predict how this story will end for our recluse. People are praying. Could it really happen—as Dr. Seuss famously told us in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”— that a human’s heart can grow three sizes? We’ll see. Christmas is coming. But we know this, that a community is capable of heart-warming goodness and that, as Thoreau taught, goodness is the one investment that never fails, blessing all involved. There’s meaning in that.
Skip fell in love with Laguna on a ‘50s surfing trip. He’s a student of Laguna history and the author of “Loving Laguna: A Local’s Guide to Laguna Beach”. Email: [email protected].
