It’s a comforting thought that Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a literary giant, found happiness in the simple pleasure of observing seventeen trees.
Speaking shortly, he needed seventeen trees to be happy. I’ve already mentioned in one of my previous texts that I returned to reading Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s letters (I wrote the current text on the 9th of August, 2025, and I read the famous Russian writer’s whole epistolography in 2013/2014). Before he was sentenced to Siberian exile in 1849, he was imprisoned for a couple of months in the Tsarist prison named “Peter and Paul Fortress.” While staying there, Dostoyevsky was writing letters to his brother, Mikhail. In one of his letters, he stated he was happy because he was allowed to go to the prison garden, where he was able to observe seventeen trees. He stressed it was a great luck for him to watch the trees. Also, he was happy because he was allowed to light a candle in the evening.
Thus, he was able to read and write there.
When I read it, I recalled why reading Dostoyevsky’s letters and novels brought so much relief to my life. One of them, as seen in the examples of the seventeen trees in the prison garden or the possibility of lighting a candle in the evening, is that Dostoyevsky’s life and novels can remind us what’s truly important in life. While writing all this, I recalled Wim Hof’s statement that happy people don’t need anything because they are happy. Dostoyevsky’s examples mentioned above remind me of all these things. After all, the possibility of seeing seventeen trees and lighting a candle is, indeed, almost nothing (compared to, e.g., buying a new car or the desire to travel around the world). Still, we should be reminded that even the simplest things can (and in fact should!) bring joy to our hearts, minds, and souls.
Also, I tried to recall how many trees I saw while rucking today and doing street photography.
It is impossible to say how many. Still, I was tremendously happy that I could simply walk, photograph, and enjoy the usual summer day in Warsaw. I’ve often mentioned that street photography has helped me appreciate the present moment, without dwelling on the past or overthinking future possibilities or threats. Also, I am thrilled I can simply read books and write my own thoughts, because sharing is caring. I share Dostoyevsky’s output and my insights in today’s post with you, my Dear Friend.
