Transcendentalism-Chelsea Gilbert

While do research for my paper about Chris McCandless, I looked up journeys that were similar to his. The two most significant people that I never thought of before were Emerson and Thoreau. I knew that transcendentalism was a movement where transcendentals focused on spirituality, empirical reality, and intuition, but it never really struck my mind that McCandless' journey was similar. Because I believe that ultimately, McCandless was trying to find spirituality along his travels, it makes perfect sense now that he would be compared to two of the greatests authors of all time. Thoreau settled himself in solitude out in nature to find religion. He was a demander of the simplistic life full of religion, and McCandless set out on his journey because he wanted to escape conventional life and live a simple life. Emerson's stories also revolved around nature and religion and the idea that the meaning of life could be found through nature. After doing more research on the topics of Chris McCandless and Transcendentalism, it can be questioned on whether Chris was a transcendentalist of our time. It seems very likely that he could be based on the readings and notes he left behind, most of them centered on getting away from things that hinder a simple life and finding a source of higher meaning in the world. It was very interesting to come across an idea like this in my research.

Elizabeth Watkins - Journeys

In class on Thursday we talked about how the problem with American ideas of journey is that we think that the journey is the point. But the journey isn’t the journey without the end goal. What drives you is the point of everything. I felt at that moment that I’ve never really had a “real” journey. But when I thought about it I realized that every day in life I have a journey. From the moment I wake up, there is that end goal that gets me going through the day. Everyday is a journey. Whether I get through the day for my family, for a specific reason of something that happens that day, or just simply for myself, I am experiencing a motivational thing. I am driven every day and through every chapter of my life. Am I ever going to have a real spiritual journey though? How many people have those kinds of experiences where they give up their sense of a permanent home to go travel and experience all they can? What are the odds that a person like me will do that one day? These are all questions that I may never have the answer to, but its nice sometimes to hear stories of people that did so that you know it is something that is possible.

Elizabeth Watkins - Making Nature Sacred

On pages 18 and 19, John Gatta includes William Bradford’s account of a “Hideous and Desolate Land”. Gatta remarks how Bradford has a “distrust” of American landscape. He says that this can be understood because of the circumstances at the time. What I do not understand is how Bradford can call any landscape hideous. I understand that wilderness can be desolate. But isn’t there still a beauty about being so desolate? Think of a picture of a desert with a single cactus off to one side. Is that desolate and barren landscape not beautiful? I feel that anyone can appreciate all types of landscapes. I find it interesting that Gatta gives Bradford an excuse for how he writes about the land. You would think that usually people who experience things for the first time are more open to the differences of that place. I would think that Bradford would have really looked at the environment in a more positive way.

Elizabeth Watkins - Remembering Sacred Place

There are places I’ve been to in my childhood that I know are sacred places. The problem is that I can’t remember them. I hear stories about how I’ve been there. I hear about how I’ve interacted with the place and about what my reactions are, but I do not remember the stories. Is that place still spiritual and sacred to me? Does it count that I don't remember exactly what happened? Does it count that based on my beliefs, I still would find that place sacred if I went back to it today? Doesn’t Lane talk about how the greatest power of sacred place is the ability to remember the place and your experience with the place? I wish I could remember my experiences with each place, but how do I gain something that I lost? It is out of my control. I guess I have to accept the fact that there are things in life that are ambiguous and you sometimes have to rely on the memories of other people. Maybe that's another way to find a place sacred - the memories of others. If people you care about find them sacred, maybe they become sacred to you because you care about that person and share their thoughts and feelings, also.

Elizabeth Watkins - Outside Reading #2

For my second outside reading, I followed the pattern of my first reading. I decided to read up on John Gatta’s Making Nature Sacred and the reviews for his book. I went to http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/American/~~/dmlidz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5NTE2NTA2Nw At this website, I really learned a lot from the reviews of the book. I learned that this book is really focused on ecocriticism. This is a concept I have never even heard of! And I’ve been reading the book without even realizing what the main message is about! One review that I really liked said that “Gatta offers spiritual and imaginative hope for an age set on despair”. I really understand now what ecocriticism is and I am glad that I know that it is a problem. I think it is terrible that people are looking at ecology and nature in a critical and negative manner. I would never in a million years think of nature in a negative way. It always has been such a positive thing to me. I appreciate what Gatta has written and I hope that he has made this problem more public so others can understand that it is a problem.

Elizabeth Watkins - Making Nature Sacred

I completely understand where Edwards is coming from with his philosophy on God and the natural world. From pages 61 to about 65 in Gatta’s book, I see Edwards point of view very clearly. I understand how you can feel God at a thunderstorm. I would feel God, too. I understand how Edwards sees God to be the foundation of everything. God shows you ecology and God gives value to the natural world. I do not know how to describe it, but sometimes when you look at the natural world and see something really beautiful or interesting, you can feel a religious undertone to the place. Like when I look at the James River and see the vague side across the way that has trees line and is almost a blur because the river is so huge, I get a feeling over me that is almost like “this is so beautiful and God created this”. It is hard to explain, but I understand completely what Edwards is trying to communicate.

Elizabeth Watkins - Memory

Thursday in class we talked about how memory is key to a sacred place. I’ve had sort of an interesting experience with this concept. For me, one of the places I see as sacred, I don’t find it sacred for the memory I’ve had there but for the memory people I’ve loved had there. Does that even make sense? I feel that the place is sacred because I’ve heard stories about people I’ve cared about. I’ve heard stories of how they grew up there, how they lived most of their lives there. And now, as I visit that place with them, I become a part of it. Am I becoming a memory of the place too? I like to think that I am. All I know is that I see that place as sacred and I would never want to lose the privilege of experiencing that place whenever I can.