Rucksack Revolution – the therapist had no clue
Once I was a rucksack wanderer, hitching on the road like my “Beat” heroes.
In Kerouac’s “The Dharma Bums,” Japhy Rider (Gary Snyder) says, “…I see a vision of a great rucksack revolution, thousands or even millions of rucksack wanderers…”
I read the words and followed.
Owning nothing but a rucksack, hiking shoes, jeans, a blue work shirt, and a pup tent; I was 27, escaped from teaching high school English in Iowa and ready to live.
So we meandered up the East coast, into Canada, hitching rides, sleeping under bridges, in packing crates, on sand dunes, in the woods; sailing to islands on ferry boats; relying on the good will of strangers, which never failed.
Decades later, a therapist told me I must have had a death wish, putting myelf in danger like that. Danger? Never thought about it. I was busy being a rucksack wanderer. Adventure was my middle name.
late again
in trouble for reading
Ferlinghetti
all night with another
rogue poet
6 thoughts on "Rucksack Revolution – the therapist had no clue"
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Are you making a book of these memories? You should!
The stories are scattered around my laptop. Need to focus.
I just missed that era. Jealous as hell!
Absolutely delicious – “rucksack” is a bag of connotations -Ferlinghetti a roguish bonus!
You made me want to remember more about those days. that therapist must have been of another generation
Silly therapist—well not of my generation either! I loved the book “been down so long it looks like up to me”. Farina? Anyways remember the first mention of rucksack and couldn’t wait till I could go a wondering! Thanks for your poem memories—& it is not too late. But hitchhiking in 2026 might be challenging