Congratulations, Grand Canyon--old as the ages and still
stirring up controversy and intrigue! I read this article in the New York Times today with great interest, not just because it’s about one of my favorite
places, but also because it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
“The
fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious” —Albert Einstein
Taking pleasure in reading about scientists' continuing disagreement on Grand Canyon's geologic age isn't to say I don’t appreciate advances in science or
that I don’t make the effort to research the name of a plant or the origin and
age of a pottery sherd. But there’s something about the unknowable that holds
magic: When we can put a label on a thing or explain it thoroughly, it loses
a bit of its wildness.
And after all, isn't it mystery that beckons us onward, inspiring us to travel, to write, to paint, to understand?
