Or: “We are what we think. All that we are, arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”—Buddha

We are short-term compared to the rest of the universe. People generally tend to think the future is a long way away. In reality, we should be thinking about our human impact on this planet long after we are dead. We should constantly be thinking about what we will be leaving for the future inhabitants of this planet. Alas, the passion for the get-rich schemes cloud many a crazy rich person who only want more for themselves. After all, seeking money and buying things are the American way of life, isn’t it? But having this as a priority in our uneducated lives, these ill-gotten gains, makes all those who don’t believe in this system suffer. These temporary gains, the boom or bust environment, especially in the wild, wild west have all been taken at the expense of what we hold dear. We are a dry land that is getting warmer and more populated over the years. Vegetation doesn’t grow back, and if you take the water away, there is nothing to replace it.

When David Gessner was writing All the Wild that Remains he visited Arches in Moab, to track down Edward Abbey’s haunts. He visited Abbey’s friend, Ken Sleight, now eighty-three-years-old. He was a former river rafter and horseman. Sleight was the inspiration for Seldom Seen Smith, the adventurous and laconic “Jack Mormon” who co-starred in Abbey’s best-known novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang. Abbey met him and stayed with him while he was at Arches. Sleight talked about Abbey and how his essays and books influenced so many people.

Sleight talked about the people who visit the wild places especially out in the west. He stated: “‘Are they thinking?’ That’s what he [Abbey] would always say. What he [Abbey] wanted to know is ‘Are they really thinking?’ Regardless of what they think of me, I want them to think.” The best times with Abbey, he added, were by the campfire while on the river. Abbey was an incredible spokesman and people listened to him. [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 98). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition].

These wise words rang true to my heart when I visited my old haunts in Utah last year. When I see what has happened to the once beautiful places, I despair that it can only get worse. It’s hard to be in the minority of thinkers who understand that there will always be global consequences for all of our current actions. It’s hard let harsh feelings go for those that who just want to take the money and run and are not given any consequences for their actions, particularly the oil and gas industry. The boom or bust has both made and broke small towns and the wild places are getting fewer and fewer. People in the lush, green east coast towns don’t understand what is happening out here. However, westerners persevere throughout these trying times. Easterners are now dealing with weather as well, but with the abundance of water, not the lack thereof. Environmental catastrophes are happening whether we want to accept it or not. We must look within to save the wild places and the people who live there.

It seems that human suffering is okay to those who are in power and we have to keep trying to change the mind of those in power. Gessner also stated that “Largeness of thought does not come naturally to most of us. It isn’t easy to see the big picture. Many don’t even try.” [Gessner, David. All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West (p. 122). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition].

So today I am asking you to read or re-read Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey and Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, by Wallace Stegner. I am asking all of you to think about what we have done in the past and how we can start to make a change for the future. It’s heady reading but worth it. We can only focus on one thing at a time and the billionaires aren’t going to change their way of doing business, so maybe small towns can really think about what it means to take their money. Maybe they can negotiate contracts that make more sense before these companies take everything out of the land and run away. When all is said and done and the fruits of their labor are carted off to Texas and other places, the towns will go bust if they don’t have a long-term plan. The land will not recover quickly and no one will help clean up their messes in the end. It’s a sad situation but little towns have to think about what they will accomplish in the long run with short-term gains, that only benefit the rich and powerful (and other states!). Just sayin’.

I love you all and hope we live to see another clear day!