Kayla Delaguila: Landscapes and I and Thou

I have already talked about this a little in a previous journal entry but I wanted to delve a little more specifically into the topic of reciprocity. Lane discusses the reciprocity of nature in Landscapes of the Sacred, he mentions touching and being touched by natural features. Emphasizing exactly how important it is that the place perceives us as we perceive it. Then in I and Thou by Martin Buber he discusses reciprocity in general, that relationships rely on reciprocity. You will always act on me as I act on it. Both authors stress the fact that there is never really a relationship without reciprocity, not a quality one anyway. This thought brings me back to the very first day of class. One of the first questions Dr. Redick asked us was about reciprocity, being actively involved in a relationship. I remember this because then (and now) I think of the example of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. If a boy never calls a girl, never comes to see her, never talks to her… she will get fed up with putting in all the effort. I feel that it goes the same way with nature. If nature is always graciously inviting you to visit her, and all you do is ignore her, then the result is not pretty. If you walk through the forest dropping trash and leaving campsites a mess then the wilderness sees this disrespect and does not appreciate it. I am of course personifying Mother Nature here, but in reality, it’s how I feel. That all boils down to the ‘leave no trace’ thing that Dr. Redick brought up in class yesterday, my family is a big believer in respecting nature in all ways. My mom used to make me thank a tree for letting me climb it. I used to think it was crazy, but a tree is another living thing just like me. A little hippie… but I dig it.