"Loss Of Creature"

Walker Percy’s main point in talking about the Grand Canyon is that it is almost impossible for a person to see it for what it really is. This happens because others have formulated a person’s idea of what it should be even before they go see it for themselves. The books, the postcards, the tourist folders, and just the name help paint a picture in one’s mind as to what they should see. Their preconceived notions about what they have been told they will see will stop them from appreciating and questioning what they see with their own eyes. I guess no one will ever see and appreciate the Grand Canyon as much as García López de Cárdenas did when he discovered it, but we need to stop and take in all the beauty the Grand Canyon has to offer. Don’t just say it looks like the postcard you saw, or it looks like your friend said, but open your eyes and look at the color and the shadows that are before you. Learn to form your own opinions and don’t be afraid if others see the Grand Canyon differently. Everyone should create their own experience when they view the Grand Canyon, so enjoy yours.

Percy says that people only see what they expect to see. They have been programmed by others and do not allow themselves to experience a new place or culture in the present. We need to leave the beaten track, seek out and enjoy what you see in the present. Experience a new place or new culture with your eyes wide open and ready to take in the beauty just waiting to be seen.

I have not allowed a “preformed symbolic complex” to get in the way of own experiences while traveling. I have not traveled often and many of my experiences have occurred when I was traveling for gymnastics competitions. Once the competition is over, I am free to explore. While in Hawaii I did go off the beaten track and explored the scenery. Before my family went to Hawaii, I did talk to friends about where to go and where not to go, but they did not describe what I would see in great detail. I did read brochures about the places I wanted to go see, but I did not allow myself to get a preconceived notion about what I was to see. I enjoyed the scenery before me and when I returned home I had pictures to help remind me of the beauty I saw. Maybe my parents had a “preformed symbolic complex” when we went to Hawaii because they had to plan the trip. They had to read a lot of brochures, maps, and talk to the travel agents. My parents wanted to make our trip enjoyable for the whole family, but all the planning must have hurt their experience.