Sarah Gibbard Cook
  • Home
  • About
  • Writing
  • Contact

Earth Lessons to a Divided Nation

7/4/2022

6 Comments

 
Picture
The cultural and political divisions of our time look as nearly impassible as the snow-covered peaks of the Continental Divide, back before railroads and airplanes. Other great North American drainage divides offer more inviting models. The one I know best separates the watershed of the Lakes/St. Lawrence River from that of the Mississippi River. Waters on one side flow to the North Atlantic; on the other, to the Gulf of Mexico.

This divide looks far from dramatic. It is low, often marshy, and scarcely visible to the casual observer. Centuries ago, before canals, spring rains made some marshes wet enough to paddle across. Otherwise, travelers had to carry goods and canoes overland from one watershed to the other. French fur traders called such crossings portages, from French for “carry.” Major portages connected Green Bay with the Wisconsin River, Chicago with the Illinois River, and Cleveland with the Ohio River. To cross them was tiring but not prohibitive.

The Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Mexico are two thousand miles apart. That’s a plausible metaphor for today’s societal distance between right and left, conservative and progressive, red state and blue state. We’ll never all think alike, and it wouldn’t be healthy if we did. But the barrier shouldn’t have to consist of impenetrable mountains. What if we envisioned it as low and possible to traverse? Might we aspire to connect despite differences, and some days even to paddle across?

Image: The Chicago Portage by Edgar Spier Cameron, 1862-1944.
6 Comments
Dennis Doren
7/4/2022 08:04:18 am

Nice thought overall, but there seems an unfortunate flaw in the metaphor. The people who traversed the marshes were motivated to get to the other side. And even when someone from the other side crosses the marsh “to trade” with us, the vast majority of us only want that person to buy our goods; not for us yo buy from that person.

Reply
Sarah Cook link
7/4/2022 12:04:13 pm

Fair point, alas. I'm not sure, though, that there aren't individuals on both sides who would welcome some exchange, with ground rules. In the barter economy of the fur traders, no trade could happen unless it went both ways.

Reply
Dennis Doren
7/4/2022 01:33:27 pm

In fact, I have looked for such exchanges a small number of times, when given the chance even saying I don’t think either side has a monopoly on the truth or best answers. I have learned to shy away from participating in these “discussions” after being subjected to others’ diatribes; even after they tell me they are open to other perspectives.

Sarah Cook link
7/4/2022 03:19:01 pm

I heard Sunday about an organization that sponsored such intentional discussions (perhaps in hiatus with the pandemic) - if the person who mentioned it remembers the name, I'll try to provide it here. And decades ago the National Conference of Christians and Jews (as it then was) brought together Chicago police and South Side residents in that way. Somehow their ground rules and structure (and motivation on both sides) helped avoid the diatribes. It's easier to hear personal stories than abstract reasoning. Crossing the marshes is rare and I believe there's a hunger for it.

Reply
CHARLDA L THOMPSON
7/4/2022 09:34:15 pm

Thanks for some of the history Sarah and a look at the other divides we face. Recently, you wrote about rants, and, especially now, I feel like I could rant indefinitely! However, there are not many places to do so where it would be safe and not a waste of breath!

Reply
Sarah Cook link
7/5/2022 07:15:44 am

Ranting definitely has its place! A waste of breath if we're trying to convince others, but sometimes helpful with like-minded folks to remind us we're not alone. More and more, I believe we need BOTH safe places with kindred spirits AND respectful interaction with a variety of people, to connect with their humanity instead of reducing them to stereotypes.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm a historian who writes novels and literary nonfiction. My home base is Madison, Wisconsin. 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    RSS Feed


      ​get updates

    Sign up
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Writing
  • Contact