"A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is intermediate between land and sky." So Henry David Thoreau immortalized Walden Pond, but he could have been describing this calming image of Ežezers Lake in Latvia. Today, the birthday of that famous American advocate for pursuing a simple life is also National Simplicity Day, an annual reminder to unplug, slow down, step back, and consider your life. Thoreau"s most famous work (that you probably haven"t read since high school), "Walden," is his account of the two years, two months, and two days he spent away from society in a cabin near the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Through this work he encourages us to take a step back and look for ways to simplify our lives. "Our life is frittered away by detail," Thoreau observed. "Simplify, simplify."
A day to take a moment
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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‘Stepping’ into Black History Month
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The Christmas Bird Count begins
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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A species no longer at risk
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World Elephant Day
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Amelia Earhart
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Flag Day
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Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
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Black bear cub emerging into spring
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Groundhog Day
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Fibonacci Day
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The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
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Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
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Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
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Don’t look down
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Red Planet Day
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Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
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Welcome to the Ring of Fire
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Old Rock Day
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In celebration of cats
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Sand, sun, and sk8ers
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Climb a tree for wild animals and plants
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Dressed to impress
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Construction workers resting above Manhattan
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A festival of colors
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High seas commerce
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Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
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Summer solstice
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An Alpine fairy-tale castle
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Mardi Gras
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

