“Take only photos, leave only footprints”
To me, that phrase represents more than just an environmentalist’s ideology. For me, it represents a tenet, a philosophy, a way to experience the world we’ve inherited. Indeed, I’m reminded of the words of Robert Swan OBE, Arctic and Antarctic explorer, who said “we don’t inherit our time on this planet from our parents, we borrow it from our children”. So then, to whom do we owe the duty to live consciously, mindfully? Ultimately, you will decide that for yourself.
I don’t recall the first time I heard that phrase but it seems to originate from Chief Seattle (c. 1786 -1866), a Suquamish and Duwamish Native American chief who is quoted to have said “Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints”. It was one of those things that from the moment I heard it, I immediately knew the truth of it and the significance it would have on me for the rest of my life.
For some, it takes the experience of a pristine wilderness such as Antarctica or a tropical rainforest to understand or even to awaken to the significance of mindful living. For me, it simply took a first-hand look at a clear-fell logging coup to turn me into a “greenie”! For others, nothing can deter them from seeing everything as a resource, or commodity, to be mined, harvested or exploited somehow.
Put simply, the phrase means to make no impact on areas you visit or even live. Of course, I admit the difficulty of this sometimes, but we can always THINK about the impact we are making and make better choices about it. We chose this phrase as our motto because we live by it daily. Everywhere we go, every place we visit, even every house-sit we do, we make sure our impact is minimal.
So, as we commence our Flashpacker’s Travel adventure, this philosophy will be ever-present in our daily life. We hope you find us, and our travels inspiring and thought provoking.
FLASHPACKERS TRAVEL 