Public Land

I should probably write these posts on paper and try to compose a beautiful essay, but, that is not my style. I tend to write just what I'm feeling, when I'm feeling it. So, I apologize if this post isn't beautiful, or doesn't make sense, or has errors. I am reading Ernest Hemingway In Our Time, published in 1925 and not only is it beautifully written, he writes a lot of short sentences. I'm going to stop stressing over my sentences. They don't have to be three feet long to be good, right?

I stayed at a campground in Wyoming that was actually bordered by Colorado. I could see cars stopping on the freeway to take pictures of the "Welcome to Wyoming" sign. Yes, unfortunately the campground was that close to the freeway. The campground was adequate. Not much investment in landscaping or entertainment, but there was clean showers, electricity, water, etc.

This campground was on a working bison ranch. I was in the mood to get closer to nature, so I asked a gentleman worker if I could walk along the fence line, out towards the small hill not far away. He said no because it was private property and "the owner wouldn't take kindly to that." I walked to the fence and noticed that a barbed wire fence was surrounding the campground (except for the opening for cars). On the other side of our fence was where the horses were penned in at night, and the other side of the horse's fence was where the bison were penned overnight. It struck me that the human beings were penned in just like the animals. AND we were paying to stay there. I am not going to compare us to bison because they are raised to be eaten, and obviously, we are not. However, the horses are a different story. All they do is work. There is no freedom, and not much choice. They work until they are too old, or not strong enough, or not able to compete with younger stronger horses. I cannot see how this is much different than how we live. Fenced in and working until we are too old.

I didn't like Wyoming after that and drove straight through the state only stopping to eat and nap. I'm not blaming Wyoming. I'm sure every state is the same.

I eventually made it to Mt. St. Helens, which is "public land" meaning it is owned by the government, which means it is ours. It is not privately owned, which means we do not need an individuals permission to enter. Of course there are rules, and costs. There has to be rules for public safety reasons, just as there has to be a cost to cover expenses. Mt. St. Helens National Park is a fifty mile drive on a two lane highway. Most of the drive is not public land. This land was replanted after the eruption. And it is beautiful. When you reach the park though, the scenery is strikingly different. The government choose not to replant and let the earth heal naturally, without human intervention, the way earth is supposed to be. I have tried to write about how much this affected me, but have not yet been able to express it in words. The museum gives a very good description of the eruption, so I felt like I sort of understood what happened. To see the destruction and the natural renewal of the earth touched me all the way to my soul. I am able to move, albeit slowly and painfully, past John's death after seeing Mt. St. Helens. If this had been private land, my experience would have been vastly different.

While I was on the road, I didn't always stay at campgrounds. I sometimes slept in casino parking lots, Wal-Mart parking lots, truck stops, and even rest areas. I began to feel like all of this land is ours/mine. We all have the right to live here. We do not have to pay to sleep. I ate wild blackberries in Washington, so we technically don't even have to pay to eat, but we do. We pay, we work so we can pay. 

I eventually made it to the Grand Canyon, another government owned, "public land". Just in case you don't know, the Grand Canyon has been carved by water from various creeks and the Colorado River since the beginning of, well, I guess, water. Up-river, there is a dam. A man-made dam. The whole time I was in the park (for three and a half days), I kept thinking what would the canyon look like if that dam was not there. Why do humans insist on controlling every single goddamn thing? (No pun intended.) The fact that this portion of the canyon is owned by the people, by the United States, means it will be protected from greed. It will continue to be there for our children's children to experience.

I bought a book of essays about Mt. St. Helens and it has obviously touched other people's soul. The same with the Grand Canyon. I have a book of essays from there too. It has obviously touched other people's soul.

As soon as I figure out how, I'm going to make a digital photo montage set to the music of Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land. Because this land IS our land. There is a very delicate balance between us controlling it, and us killing it.