The Pearl 2020

cided he wasn’t in agreement with those endeavors. As a result, he decided
to become a hermit and not pay his poll taxes—a rebel indeed. It was in this
time alone, around Walden Pond, that he wrote his famous reflections on
sovereignty, government, personal growth, and the human condition. It’s a
monumental work, exemplar of the power of quiet reflection.
I cannot attribute anything so classic as Walden to my long
stretches of seclusion on the highways of America, but I can say that
having time to regard myself on a deep level, to think on the issues I
care about intensely, to reflect on my life and everything in it, has
changed me for the better. Those things cannot be done when around
other people (no matter how much you love them), technology, the
opinions of the masses, or any other social stimuli. My job driving
around the country delivering miscellaneous parts is the best source of
time to myself, and is therefore more valuable than just the money it
makes me.
It’s not just being alone though that I love. Seeing the country, learning
about it through my own senses, is something that cannot be replicated in any
way. I’ve seen mountains that stretch higher than the imagination, trees older
than the U.S. Constitution, great valleys carved out by glaciers; I’ve navigated
through awe-inspiring storms, I’ve slept under the stars in the bed of my
truck, I’ve befriended hitchhikers; I’ve seen bears feeding on freshly caught
elk, bold songbirds flocking together to drive off an eagle, bison rubbing
against an SUV and nearly tipping it over. There are very few things more
beautiful to behold than the wonders of nature, and the truths it teaches us
about ourselves: Thoreau was right when he said we can never have enough
of nature in our lives.
~~~
By August 10 th , we were down to the last three days at the cabin. The
day before we had been to Glacier National Park, my favorite of all the
places I’ve visited in my 22 years on this gorgeous rock. The plan for the
day was to go in the opposite direction and visit Yellowstone, a place almost
as magnificent as Glacier. If you were to argue in favor of it being the best
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