Driving

 Last weekend, I went back home to Memphis to visit my family. Even though one of my brothers goes to TCU, and I have seen my mom and dad this semester, I had not seen my two youngest brothers since the end of summer. I booked a flight last minute after looking at the calendar and realizing that I wouldn’t be able to see them until Thanksgiving. I tell everyone that I am from Memphis, but I really live about thirty minutes outside of the actual city in Eads. I would consider this suburb to be more rural. We live five minutes away from a farm where we keep our horses, and the houses are all spread apart by lots of land. Coming to TCU and experiencing Fort Worth made me realize how close everything is. At home, I would drive at least forty minutes to school every morning depending on traffic, while everything else is at least twenty-five minutes away. I got used to driving a lot in high school, and I have found that I have become less patient since coming to TCU. I really can’t think of anything around here that is more than ten to fifteen minutes away (except the Nature Center). 

Driving through Shelby Farms

When I was home last weekend, I spent a lot of time in the car. It was nice to look around and see things that I hadn’t been able to see the last couple of months. In Memphis, the weather is a little cooler than it is here, so the leaves have just started to change color. I love fall in Memphis because we have so many trees. My favorite place to go while I am at home is Shelby Farms Park. It is one of the largest urban parks in the country and has a buffalo herd like the Fort Worth Nature Center. Unfortunately, it rained most of the time when I was home, so I wasn’t able to go. We drive past the park to get to the city, so I was able to see it from a distance. I think it is comforting that even when we are separated from the wilderness by the comforts of our cars, we can still appreciate nature by simply looking outside the window.

Driving past a cotton field

Thorns and Prairie Dogs

This week at the nature center, we were tasked with cutting down mesquite trees, sometimes referred to as Devil Trees. These trees put up a fight, stabbing us through our long sleeves and even getting their thorns all the way through the soles of our shoes. Although this work was physically demanding in the hot sun, it was satisfying to see our pile of dead limbs grow bigger and bigger as time passed. We were told that these trees would have to be cut down multiple times because, although they appeared to be dead, they would continue to grow back. They are resilient to human interference, like the rest of nature. 

As discussed in class, early civilization desired to tame the wilderness, although they were also the ones who created it. Indeed, the wilderness did not exist until we made towns and cities to distinguish it from human endeavors. Humans will go to extreme measures to preserve the comforts of being inside, safe from the wilderness. We travel between air-conditioned buildings in our air-conditioned cars. We protect ourselves from the rain and the wind with umbrellas. We refuse to walk to class when it is too hot or too cold. Despite our endless desire to be inside, something seems to pull us back out. I find it ironic that although we have deemed the wilderness as undesirable, we are still drawn to it. I think there is something innately comforting about being in nature, but this comfort is definitely limited to personal experience. While Abbey seemed to be at ease in the hot desert with little water, I personally prefer my nature experiences to be closer to civilization. While I appreciate the power of nature, I also fear it at times, because it seems that nature will always win.

This photo highlights the clash between wilderness and civilization.

The biblical text presents the dichotomy of wilderness, describing both its goodness and evilness. While nature is a place of comfort, it is also a place that tests the limits of humanity. Edward Abbey warns us to stay away from the desert. Why? It lacks all of the comforts that modern humans have become accustomed to. It is hot, uncomfortable, and dangerous. But it is also breathtaking, life-giving, and meditative. I think that one of the best ways to truly appreciate nature is to respect it. Our work at the nature center sought to restore habitats that were once hospitable to prairie dogs. In the past, this species heavily populated this part of Texas. Now, their numbers have dwindled due to the destruction of their habitats. This destruction comes from both human and natural causes. As humans, we can do our best to preserve what we have left of nature, but at the end of the day, wilderness and civilization seem to be at odds.