A Sense Of Place

Sometimes I wonder if I'm where I should be. If this is a place that sustains me, brings me joy, and if it is, then I have to ask myself why.

Is it the land, majestic and mountainous, prairie grass and sage as far as the eye can see with trout laden rivers winding through it all? Are the wild animals the reason why I'm here? Is it the birds that sing and greet me in the morning? The squirrels that dance around the trees? I think about our wild animals and their welfare every day because Wyoming is full of endangered creatures that desperately need our protection. Do I like it here because it's sunny almost every day, even in winter? Am I attracted to the fact that this is an "empty" state, where there are more antelope than people. Maybe I like it here because of all those reasons. The truth is, I've never felt more alive than I do here.

I suppose those are the reasons why I stay here, but the other day I was driving down Main Street and the car in front of me had a bumper sticker that read: TREE HUGGERS SUCK. I thought, Whaaat? Why???

This state is not known for its environmentalists, thats a fact. My husband shared with me his latest bumper sticker shocker. He was behind a truck bearing this slogan: EARTH FIRST! WE'LL DRILL THE OTHER PLANETS LATER.

No matter where a person lives, there will always be something that disappoints, disturbs or is just plain puzzling. This is a quirky town, but it's my quirky town and we've got a network of friends who share our views and ideas on life and why we're all here. We stick together and fight for what we believe in, for the children, for the animals, for the environment, for the future! We gather together at parties and share meals and stories and music and laughter.

So, do I still wonder if I'm where I should be? I'll probably always ask myself that question, only because I'm constantly searching and questioning and wondering.

One thing I'm sure of is this. All of my friends are TREE HUGGERS.