Katelyn Almeda: Lane 1

"Poverty has many faces. People can, for example, be poor in space alone. Last month, I talked to a man who lives in a four-room apartment with a wife, four children, and relatives besides. He has a regular job and can feed his family, but he is poor in light and air and space (Lane, 189)."

This quote, at the beginning of chapter 7 in Landscapes of the Sacred, caught my eye and I thought I'd try to analyze it. This man was obviously did not live in poverty when it came to money and family connection. He had enough money to pay for his apartment, food etc, and lived with his extended family, who I'm sure supported and loved him. What he was lacking, however, was personal space. He probably rarely got out because he was always working and when he was home, he did not have much of his own space because of everyone else who lived there. Although it might be hard for him, I think this guy could really benefit from a vacation.
I believe what Lane was trying to persuade was that although a person may have a great family, and have their needs met, there is a desire to get out into the open and enjoy what nature has to offer. In today's demanding society, it has sometimes hard to do so. However, everyone should try to best they can to get out and have their own personal time every once in a while.