Rebecca Solnit “Walking and The Suburbanized Psyche” exposes the alarming ramifications that suburbanization and the devaluation of walking have in today's society. Suburbia has forced us to lose connection with our minds and bodies, leading us to lose our imagination and damage our mental health. Solnit illustrates the “golden age of walking,” as a time when walking flourished. People planned to meet for a walk more than for a meal or a drink, unfortunately this deadline has expired. With the suburbanization of the modern world, walking has become almost impossible; “It has become a sign of powerlessness or low status…the new urban and suburban design of the contemporary world looks down on the walker” (Solnit 56). As suburbia dominates the modern world, we continue to experience a significant loss of our imagination and creativity; we diminish our privilege to walk, attack our mental and physical health, and become deprived of our freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Suburbia has affected our imagination in many ways and is heading towards a complete loss of sense, vision and creativity. Suburbia has changed our view of walking, leading to a disconnect between our body and mind, resulting in a loss of imagination and creativity. Walking has a way of connecting us to our bodies, it allows us to open our minds, allowing us to immerse ourselves in nature. Imagination allows us to use this connection with our mind; this will allow us to cope with stressful situations in our life and reflect and improve our creativity. “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed depicts the crucial importance of imagination to our bodies and minds. Cheryl Strayed grew up with an abusive father when she was six years old. His mother struggled to provide a home for him and his siblings. Later, his mother ended up passing away from cancer, which led Strayed to depression and self-destructive behavior. She then began a journey, a path towards recovery and stability. Strayed expresses "perhaps being amid the undesecrated beauty of the wilderness meant that I too could be undesecrated, regardless of what I had lost or what had been taken from me, whatever whether the regrettable things I had done to others or to myself…”. (Lost 103). Strayed is able to imagine a different state of mind, a different life and, above all, a better future. His encounter with nature not only allowed him to open his mind and imagination to a better life, but also allowed him to believe that life has better things in store for him. Escape, as she points out: “The desert had a clarity that included me” (Strayed 103). Not only does walking and immersing ourselves in nature stimulate our imagination, but it also allows us to think coherently and believe in our desires. Suburbanization is taking over because it robs us of the ability to open our minds and imaginations to help ourselves physically and mentally. As Solnit puts it: “The suburbs are devoid of natural glories and civic pleasures…suburbanization has radically changed the scale and texture of daily life” (Solnit 55). With the evolution of our daily lives and the diminishing values ​​of walking and nature, it is rare, if not impossible, to be able to connect with our mind and stimulate our imagination. In another sense, the modern world has deprived us of a privilege and a blessing. Nowadays, most peopletake walking for granted and see no benefit in it. In the days of the “golden age”, walking was a sacrament and a blessing, but today this has disappeared. As Solnit puts it: “Walking was a kind of sacrament and routine… walking as a cultural activity, as a pleasure, as travel, as a means of getting around, is disappearing” (Solnit 55) . Walking is no longer a pleasant activity or a way to get around, our society does not realize how crucial walking is and unfortunately, we deem it unnecessary. Automobiles are what have reduced walking the most, “allowing people to place homes ever further from work, stores, public transportation, schools, and social life” (Solnit 56). With the suburbs, everything is very far away, making it even more difficult to walk. The biggest problem is that our society refuses to even cover walking distances, even though it is more efficient. We have lost the sacrament of walking to the automobile and the modern suburban world, Solnit says: “I regularly see people driving and taking the bus for remarkably short distances that could be covered more quickly on foot. Most people don't realize what a privilege, a blessing they are, and the huge role it plays in their lives until they lose it. Choosing a car ride over just a short walk that is quicker, healthier and more efficient for you is what is leading our society towards a crisis. “The Chair” by Dave Dawson perfectly illustrates why walking is a blessing and a sacrament for everyone. Dawson enlisted in the army the week after he turned eighteen. He was the average man joining basic training in the army. After participating in additional missions, he gained experience and moved on to combat missions and other higher-level military tasks. A few weeks before finishing his tour and preparing to return home, Dawson was struck by tragedy, while walking through a "secure" crossing field, he felt a sharp pain in his back causing him to fall to the ground and taking away his ability to walk. . Dawson described the area as a beautiful field of flowers, and while expressing its beauty, his ability to walk was taken away from him, revealing that walking is a blessing we all have and should take advantage of before we lose that ability. Instead of driving everywhere and placing walking as the last option, we should use this to appreciate the privilege and blessing we have that stimulates our imagination and our spirit, making us healthier physically and mentally.​​Freedom is the most important thing for society. , everyone wants their freedom, and if this is threatened, people get angry. It's quite ironic that we are all willing to go the distance for our freedom, and yet we choose not to have it every day of our lives. We hold ourselves back every day; we can go anywhere whenever we want because we are "free", but being free means nothing when there is nowhere to go. Solnit refers to the Kays Asphalt Nation: “The children watched four times more television because the outdoor world offered them some adventures and destinations” (Kay 25). How are these children free and yet so restricted? Cars removed the privacy of space, public buildings became surrounded by conventional design and circulation, leaving nowhere to go and putting limits on our freedom and society. The evolution of television, transport and the lack of space.