Landmarks
Thurman Quote: “‘Think twice before you move your neighbor’s landmarks….’To understand a man is not merely to know his name and the number of his thoughts, to be acquainted with how he acts or what he does. To know a man [woman or person] is to know, somewhat, of his landmarks.”
Citation: “Your Neighbor’s Landmarks,” in The Inward Journey, p. 76, 77
Description: Thurman invites us to understand the notable locations of historical, cultural, familial, and geographical significance of our others. Indeed, the image accompanying the entry is a landmark that is significant for Thurman’s story, the San Francisco Bridge. How might our interpretive practices speak from and toward the landmarks of our neighbors, rather than our own? Can we build meaning and meaning effects from the locations that are significant for others? And might this be a way of deepening our human sensibilities of relatedness? Might it be a way of relating and transgressing boundaries that keep the notable places of our respective experiences disconnected?
Reflect on: Interpretive practice as a form of information gathering about the landmarks of others.
