Kelsey Woods-Landscapes of the Sacred 1

"In short, I expect too much of the place." (Page 16)
In this section of the book Lane describes a river in a state park where he often retreats to when he needs to find solice. He talks about his love for the place growing due to the stories he gains from his experiences each visit. Lane then goes on to state that each visit has a sort of routine. It always starts as just another hike through the woods, its nice but the change of scenery is not having the theraputic affect he had hoped. He describes his expectations by saying he wanted to find God in every leaf and cloud. I feel like I do this too. I often go to the beach or to Shenendoah State Park and at first feel a sense of dissappiontment. Just as Lane does, I usually find myself wandering around, thinking of all the other things I should be getting done, until I see a spot that gets my attention. If I just sit there and relax, try to clear my mind, I usually do feel a calming sensation that I just don't achieve in my everyday surroundings. I can stop and appreciate the beauty around me and have some wonderful spiritual experiences, but I must wait for the right moment for the place to reach me. I even once had an experience similiar to the one Lane had with the doe, only instead of being right next to me, the animal was a few yards away climbing a tree. Although, I'm kind of glad it was not right in my face, seeing as how the animal I encountered, was a baby bear. I think patience is very important when talking about nature and experiences like these help show us just fruitful waiting can be.