August 26, 2016 by Rich Malloy

One Good Reason to Fly to Las Vegas

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberatively, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

– Henry David Thoreau

There are two kinds of people in the world–those who would relish a weekend in Las Vegas, and those who upon winning a weekend for two at the finest hotel with tickets to the show of their choice would readily offer them at no cost to the first person who shows interest.

Actually, there are three kinds of people in the world, the third being those who would accept the tickets, fly to Vegas, rent a car, and immediately take I15 north to the forests and canyons of southwestern Utah. That’s me.

Last month, my son, Thomas, my brother Terry, who lives in northwest Canada, and I converged on Las Vegas, set the GPS for St. George, Utah, and headed north to the bristlecone forests and surreal canyons of this small sampling of the Great American Southwest. We focused on three treasures of the National Parks system–Cedar Breaks National Monument (featuring, at over 10,000 feet, some of the most iconic southwestern vistas I’ve ever experienced), Zion National Park (rugged, majestic, mountainous), and, slipping across the state line into Arizona, the north rim of the Grand Canyon (go to the north rim–better than the south, with a more intimate feel and a fraction of the traffic).

With each visit to a National Park, I am reminded of the awe-inspiring natural beauty of America, and my patriotism is stirred knowing of the national commitment we made many years ago to preserve that beauty for all to experience–including the millions of visitors from countries far and wide who visit America specifically to see our parks. Those parks represent some of our country’s most treasured values–respect for the land, protection of our natural resources, a sense of the spiritual that transcends all ethnic, cultural, and religious traditions, preservation of our natural inheritance for all Americans for all time, and showcasing all this at minimal cost (free with my senior pass!).

So, head to Las Vegas. Spend a day there (if you really must!), then shake the dust from your sandals and head north to some of the most beautiful scenery our planet has to offer. You will leave renewed, in body and soul.

March 31, 2015 by Mike Brock

Embrace the Natural World this Summer

As adults, people remember three kinds of family events with great pleasure–meals, vacations and time outdoors . . . The natural world has great power to heal and restore broken families. Children need contact with the natural world. It’s an antidote to advertising and gives them a different perspective on the universe.-Mary Pipher, The Shelter of Each Other

I was reminded of Mary Pipher’s words while hiking last week in the high desert of southeastern Utah. Southern Utah, home of five national parks and several state parks and national monuments, is a playground of rugged mountains, deep canyons, ancient reefs left behind by retreating seas, sandstone rock formations that could fill a football stadium, and arches that have become iconic images of the American West. I could not imagine a vacation that would better fit Pipher’s words . . . except, perhaps, a trip to the ocean, the forest, or an alpine lake.

What does immersion in nature have to do with family values, as Pipher suggests? It reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, something that gives our life meaning and purpose–which is to say, something deeply spiritual. Immersion in nature offers us experiences that allow us to see the world in its purest setting, unmarred by the world of technology and free from its polution.

We live in a world that has become so accustomed to the artificial that God’s nature has barely a chance to be noticed. Far too often, we default to theme parks and resort hotels for our family vacations. We’ve forgotten–if we’ve ever known–the haunting beauty of a deep forest or stark desert, the glory of the sun rising over the Atlantic or setting beyond the Pacific, the summer chill of high mountain air, the brilliance of the night sky, the sensorial joy of embracing a California redwood, the cool cleansing of river, lake, or ocean.

What it all comes down to is getting back to nature, getting back to the world as it is meant to be experienced. And with that comes healing–for ourselves and for our children.

July 31, 2010 by Mike Brock

Our Sacred World

Pine trees with low limbs spread over fresh snow make a stronger vault for the spirit than pews and pulpits ever could. -Winter’s Bone, Daniel Woodrell

It’s not exactly up there with winning the lottery, but this year, having turned 62, I received a windfall in the form of free lifetime entry to the national parks. For a meager ten bucks, forked over joyfully, I now own a pass to hang from my rearview mirror that allows me entry into any national park, forest, monument, historic site, or anything else operated by the National Park Service. For free. For life. The Obamas had to pay $25 to get into Acadia National Park last week—an incredible deal by anyone’s standard—but I get to visit that and every other park for free. Ah, the benefits of late middle age! (“Late middle age” is defined as the age I happen to be at any given moment; “elderly” is defined as ten years older than the age I happen to be at any given moment.)

Visiting a national park is, of course, about experiencing the world as God created it to be. And could there be any more appropriate way to celebrate the world’s Creator than by experiencing, enjoying, and delighting in the beauty of that nature, as suggested by the quote referenced above from the novel Winter’s Bone? Nature reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, something that gives our lives meaning and purpose. It grounds us in the Source of all being and allows us to see the world as God intended it to be.

We live in a world that has become so accustomed to the artificial that God’s nature has barely a chance to be noticed. For many of us, vacation time means theme parks, boutiques, hotels, and swimming pools—all curiously reminiscent of the theme parks, boutiques, hotels, and swimming pools we left behind. We’ve forgotten—if we’ve ever known—the haunting beauty of a deep forest or stark desert, the glory of the sun rising over the Atlantic or setting beyond the Pacific, the summer chill of high mountain air, the eerie brilliance of the night sky, the sensorial joy of embracing a California redwood, the cool cleansing of river, lake, or ocean.

What it all comes down to is getting back to nature, and when we get back to nature we get back to God. And with that comes a form of connection that is deeply spiritual, providing for many of us “a stronger vault for the spirit than pews and pulpits ever could.”

Amen.

Mike Brock, PsyD, LPC

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One Good Reason to Fly to Las Vegas

Embrace the Natural World this Summer

Our Sacred World

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