Thoreau and Yak Saving

Very interesting blog on Yak Saving from Joi Ito (thanks for the pointer Seth Godin). The concept of Yak Shaving--of finding yourself shopping for a drawer organizer when you just needed to find a pen--gives voice to a feeling I often get. The feeling is to look around and say "how did I get here??" Developing customer communities feels that way sometimes. I'm just looking for a way to be a better marketer, really. In the comments to Joi's post, joaobambu posted something from Thoreau that I just had to share:

"It is true but we are half-hearted crusaders, even the walkers, nowadays, who underake no perserving, neverending enterprises. Our expeditions are but tours, and come round again at evening to the old hearthside from which we set out. Half the walk is retracing our steps. We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance, in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return, prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdoms. IF YOU ARE READY TO LEAVE fATHER and mOTHER and bROTHER and sISTER, and wIFE and cHILD and fRIENDS, and never seen them again--if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled your affairs, and are a FREE MAN; then you are ready for a WALK."

Developing the ideas behind B2B customer communities feels like "the walk" too. I'm leaving behind much of what I've learned and diving into a world that I must create.