Attention to our Limitation

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Montana is part of “Big Sky Country.” During a sabbatical last semester (thank you, Calvin University!), my wife and I spent time under the big sky and worked on writing projects. Unobstructed views and dramatic land features yield a sense of perspective that the sky’s not just big, it’s enormous. In parts of Montana, plains go to the horizon. In mountainous regions, distance to a mountain is hard to estimate until it’s reached. Mountain vistas reveal broad valleys and distant plains. Throughout those two months, I felt insignificant relative to the landscape, yet limitlessly free as we hiked without another person in sight. If I tried taking it all in at once—the sky, trees, land formations, and animals—while walking on rocky, uneven trails, I often stumbled. I found I needed to stop to absorb the richness of my surroundings.

Publication Date

1-23-2025

Share

COinS