Journal 5 // Edward Abbey Reflection

    This week our class continued reading in Desert Solitude by Edward Abbey. In my mind, the assigned chapters really correlated with the book title, as we read about a man who had died while traveling alone through the desert. I continued to enjoy Abbey's vivid description of nature that pulled me in and made me feel like I was immersed in the environment, but I was rather shocked by his detachment and seemingly irreverence to the fact that a man had just died alone. The dichotomy of this situation really scratched my brain and made me think and feel in ways I have not been made to in a long time, and I am very appreciate of that. I balanced taking in the scenery with the sadness of the man's death while also taking in Abbey's account in which he made it seem that the man's passing was in sorts, a good thing. Upon the conclusion of the chapter, I reflected briefly on the literature I had just consumed. It dawned on me that we are all living in the same world physically, yet mentally each person lives in their own. Each and every situation in life can be viewed in a multitude of ways by a multitude of people. This can be viewed as good or bad, but I am going to give this part of life the benefit of the doubt by saying this is one of the beauties of our God given free will. We can choose to see something negative and still turn it into a positive. Maybe not to the same extent as Abbey, given that he did so rather bluntly, but in our own lives we can employ a part of this to see positive in the negative and good despite evil. 

    Yesterday, we ventured to the Amon G. Carter Museum of American Art, and I am happy to report that I was immensely impressed. Each painting was a memory frozen in time, and as I stopped and reflected on each one, I felt appreciative for having a glimpse into the minds of these brilliant artists. I am a huge fan of art, and make it a point to visit museums in all the places I travel. One day, I will have the money to have a nice collection for myself, but until then I will continue to appreciate art in places such as this. My photo of the week is not of nature, but of an artist's view on nature. This particular picture that I took at the museum instilled a sense of calmness in me. The contrast of the cool and snowy surroundings with the warm fire while being completely isolated in nature seemed almost dreamlike, and I love that I was able to see this landscape before I left for the day.