What I've Learned (Prompt Entry #6)

An Unspoken Hunger was written by none other than the wise Terry Tempest Williams. The last chapter in the book is entitled, Redemption: For Wendell Berry. Williams is driving in the Great Basin in Oregon and sees a coyote. She stops the car and walks toward him. It is a hide hanging on a fence to scare other coyotes from the same fate. She calls it a crucifixion. She takes a minute to reflect on the animals she has seen and is seeing in front of her. Her gaze comes back to the hanging coyote.

"My eyes returned to Jesus Coyote, stiff on his cross, savior of our American rangelands. We can try and kill all that is native, string it up by its hind legs for all to see, but spirit howls and wildness endures. Anticipate resurrection."

I feel this paragraph encapsulates many of my feelings on nature and wilderness after this semester. I am anticipating a resurrection of nature because there has to be one. We have to take care of this world that we live in. We need to be aware of our surroundings, where things come from and our own personal impact on the earth and in society.

I am so grateful to have read the prophetic words of Carson finally. It was time for change back then, so we are all overdue in accepting our calls to action. Edward Abbey's relevantly snarky words are still resonating deep within me. It can be intimidating to think, What can I do? I am just one person. But for me, it is more what can't I do because I am one person. We can all do something big or small it doesn't matter. What matters is that we see through the smog of passivity and ignorance that have been holding us down for too long.

I feel that growing a relationship with my park throughout the semester is what everyone should do with the world. Grow an intimate relationship with the world so that you wouldn't want to see it harmed or taken advantage of. I am so grateful that I was "forced" to spend time in nature this summer.

I don't have all of the answers, but reading the works of a myriad of nature writers affirms to me that I am not alone. It tells me there are answers out there waiting to be found. It tells me that people want to help nature.

I am so grateful for this class. What a great experience I have had. I feel very empowered and motivated to learn more about this world we live in and strive become a personal answer.