PlanetWalker John Francis!
For the inspiration of John Francis,
Earth Walker, Listener, Environmental Activist, we give thanks!
I say I am a Planetwalker. Then I have to explain that a Planetwalker is anyone who walks the planet as a lifestyle choice, as part of an education in the spirit and hope of using the journey to benefit the world.
~ John Francis In 1971, John Francis witnessed a huge oil spill in the San Francisco Bay that caused him to give up driving or riding in any kind of motorized transportation ~ for 22 years! He became known as the PlanetWalker. And! He also didn't speak ~
only listened ~ for 17 years!
"Ultimately when I gave up the use of motorized vehicles, I walked everywhere, from town to town, across states and two continents. When I stopped talking, I mean literally I stopped speaking. I took a complete vow of silence. " ~ John Francis
John Francis was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA yet his journey as environmental activist really began while he was living in California after witnessing and helping to clean up a huge oil spill.
John
became the Planetwalker and stopped speaking around the age of 27. In spite of ~ and perhaps because of ?! ~ Francis was able to earn 3 college degrees and actually teach college classes during the 17 year period when he was silent. From Oregon to Montana to Wisconsin Universities, John traveled by foot, studied and earned degrees as well as taught others ~ without speaking aloud!
I began observing, making paintings of my surroundings, taking a vow of silence, listening, composing music, writing, and making time for formal education. Then I started telling stories. ~ John Francis “Part of the mystery of walking is that the destination is inside us and we really don’t know when we arrive until we arrive.”~ John Francis
Here's a YouTube video featuring John Francis'
2008 Ted Talk, I Walk The Earth:
