Half Dome, El Capitan, Sentinel Rock, Three Brothers, Glacier Point, and Cathedral Rocks, mountains and valleys so beautiful you can begin to see why John Muir spent years living here. He loved it there. Because of his love for Yosemite he became instrumental in having it turned into a National Park with federal protection.
Theodore Roosevelt visited the park to meet John Muir after becoming aware of his living there and writing about the botanical finds. When Roosevelt arrived he departed from his entourage and asked to go see the real Yosemite with John Muir alone. They headed off together for one night and TR later would say that was one of his most fascinating nights sitting by the fire listening to John Muir talk about this place.
I would love to have been there with them that night. To talk of nature and its beauty and what this land meant to John. I'm sure he talked of saving all of this for future generations to enjoy. To love something that much, would give a purpose to your life. It did for John Muir.
His mission became doing what was necessary to preserve it. Part of this for him was to petition US Congress for the National Park bill, he founded The Sierra Club a conservation organization, his activism saved other wilderness areas, he brought consciousness to America of the beauty that is planet Earth. One biographer believed John's purpose was to "save the American soul from total surrender to materialism."
Maybe this one thing may be as important as drinking water and showering. Clean fresh air, fields, trees, sand, hills, tumbleweeds, outdoors, wherever we live, walking just might inspire each of us if we take the time.
Planet Earth is the Garden of Eden and I have found my thoughts can make it heaven or hell.
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