After giving a presentation on such a character as Edward Abbey, I couldn't have a blog for this class without having a post focused on him. As such a controversial figure who influenced so many people on all kinds of environmental issues, he gave me a lot to think about when I was researching his life. With the new perspectives he discussed in his writings, I was left wondering what I really thought about these issues.
The first topic that comes to mind when discussing Abbey is his views on national parks. My fall break probably would have given Abbey an aneurysm. I attended a scholarship retreat in Estes Park, Colorado, where we stayed right on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, but never actually entered the park. We stayed the whole time in the confines of the YMCA of the Rockies, with many people barely getting the chance to walk around, sticking with the views from the parking lot. I was itching to go hiking, so I spent every bit of free time exploring the area, following any trail I could find. I was disappointed to have flown all the way out there to get so close to a national park just to find out I wouldn't be able to go. This was the epitome of the industrial tourism Abbey despised. From our hotel-style lodge, we could enjoy the beauty without ever having to immerse ourselves in the wilderness that greatly enhances the experience. The development of the area attracts many tourists - several conferences were going on at the same time that we were there, and these tourists never have to stray from a paved walking path. It made me wonder if Abbey's plan actually would make things better. The area would definitely be less crowded if resorts like that weren't as developed in the area, and nature is always more impactful away from the large crowds of people, where you can experience it fully and take in all the senses. Developing the area almost glorifies human development, since it shows we can conquer such unique terrains. However, I believe that everyone should be given the chance to experience such beauty to show them why we need to preserve such a wonderful planet.
The big mystery is Edward Abbey's burial. No one, except the people who buried him, knows where he is buried. Around the time I was researching Abbey for the presentation, I was reading Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, a book about a the author, Caitlin Doughty, who works in a funeral home, and her commentary on how American society handles death seemed to be in line with what Abbey may have believed - she even mentions Abbey's unconventional burial. Doughty argues that modern burial techniques tend to try to ignore the process of death and even stop it. Modern embalming techniques load bodies with chemicals to keep them from decomposing and underground concrete tombs ensure the casket is not subject to the natural world. This can be a dangerous way to see the world because death is a necessary part of life that gives it meaning. If we ignore its role in the cycle of life, we lose touch with reality. Death gives way for more life, and one's body can offer nutrients to give back to the wilderness and find new life within nature. Abbey's death showcases this well. He knew he was going to die after suffering complications from surgery for cirrhosis of the liver, so he invited his friends to take him camping one last time. He died before the camping could start, but when one of friends told him where they planned on burying him, he smiled for the last time. His body has become nature, completing his life cycle.
Reading this book paired with my presentation research made me start to wonder about what I wanted to happen to my body when I die. I know I definitely do not want to be embalmed; the whole process sounds disgustingly unnatural. Growing up, I thought it would be cool to be cremated and have someone spread my ashes in a place meaningful to me. However, as I started thinking about it, why wouldn't I choose the most environmentally friendly option of being buried in a compostable bag straight in the ground to become part of the earth. I see it as a small way to give back to the earth that made me.
Edward Abbey may have some radical views, but they are rooted in understandable reasonings. It provides an interesting perspective through which to see the world, and it gave me lots of thinking material, which led to different conclusions I hadn't thought of before.
No comments:
Post a Comment