"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
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Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
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Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
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Dunes at White Sands National Park, New Mexico
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Steyr River, Austria
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National Gardening Week
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A showcase for future fame
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Ardez, Graubunden, Switzerland
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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
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Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
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Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, Australia
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Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California
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Jupiter and the Galilean moons
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Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The aftermath of a meteorite
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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World-class art comes to Arkansas
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Cross this bridge if you dare
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Aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
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Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale
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The dog days of summer
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Burns Night
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Extraterrestrial Culture Day
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Think deep thoughts
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Ruins of a royal temple
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Celebrating migrations
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Here we mark the price of freedom
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It s fair season
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Fall Astronomy Week
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Moody skies over Valletta