10 October 2014
One of
my favorite lines from the recent, modern reboot of Sherlock Holmes is,
"You see, but you don't observe." We are recreation students in a
national park; are we simply seeing the park, or are we observing it?
It is
11:04 PM and I am sitting between two of our campsites, watching the moon come
up over the canyon at Zion. It is a gorgeous sight. The rock walls were glowing
as the sun set, a very particular shade of red. Now, under the moonlight, they
are a pale canvas in front of the sky, a sky filled with stars.
The
people around me seem oblivious. Most of my fellow expedition members are
asleep, or doing class work. The other visitors are either in a deep slumber or
still having a good time by fire and lantern light. It seems that all but me
are oblivious to the show the natural world is putting on.
What
does that tell me? It tells me that some people have a big day ahead of them
tomorrow, so they are in bed early. Maybe they must catch an early shuttle so
they turned in just as we were starting to tell Alex Barajas some of our canoe
expedition stories. Perhaps a few of the rowdier groups are old college friends
reuniting for an outdoor adventure. Perhaps a few people here are big fans of
bird watching. And maybe others are just some college students that are out
here to blow some steam off before midterms. I am here for school. And I am
sitting here to see how the moonlight changes this canyon's look, yet still
leaves the carnival-like atmosphere intact.
Regardless,
we are all people here in Zion. We all come from different walks of life., and
are all out here for different reasons. Those reasons dictate how we view this
place and how we want it to be taken care of.
What I
am observing is the National Park Service. One agency that is given control of
a lot of land and told, "Keep all of this intact so others may enjoy
it." They are trying to cater to the wants of all the people around us.
That has to be tough.
Butt I
suppose it is a little bit easier knowing that all of the people here find this
place to be special, and a place worth investing some of their time and
resources. Which I guess helps me understand why land like this was set aside
to begin with.
Most
Respectfully,
Anthony
Killion
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