The Open Door, by Rebecca Solnit, spoke to me. The story as
a whole is easily relatable for anyone, but for me I can definitely empathize
with her story. Her reflection on how she learned the meaning of the word LOST,
is completely different than my own, but ends the same way. The beginning of
her reflection states a quote from a philosopher named Meno, “How will you go
about finding that thing that nature of which is totally unknown to you?” I
really wish I had found this quote when I was going through my own struggle
with being lost. She took this quote and she ran with it, discovering what it
meant to her.
Throughout
her story, the main place she describes and gives her analogies and examples of
being lost is from her trip to the Rockies, (or should I say trips). Her
descriptions of the scenery makes me feel like I’m hiking alongside her, “Between
white columns of aspens, delicate green plants grew knee deep, sporting leaves
like green fans and lozenges and scallops, and the stems waved white and violet
flowers in the breeze.” These were the same woods she had been lost in before,
but her mood when describing them is serene.
The
ending of the story is what is the most important of it all. This is where she
lists the definitions of LOST. “Lost has two disparate meanings. Losing things
is about the familiar falling away, getting lost is about the unfamiliar
appearing.” This is a story I should’ve read a few years ago when I was
struggling daily with depression and anxiety. I could’ve learned how it’s ok to
get lost, because if you never get lost, you never discover and learn things.
The only important thing is when you do get lost, there is always going to be
someone there to help you find your way back. Trust the Lord, he would never
lead any of His children into uncharted waters unless he knew there would be a
sailor to save us.
