Truly Awesome

September 06, 2012

People who work at libraries usually are lovers of words. I’m especially fond of the word "espionage" for the way it rolls off my tongue and the exotic sound it makes. One word I’m not overly thrilled with is the adjective "awesome" because it is so over and misused. But, on a recent trip west to Moab, Utah, I found myself using and thinking of the word "awesome" frequently.

The drive west from Missouri to Utah ranges from boring to splendidly gorgeous. I was awesomely grateful for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate Highway System for making the trek westward so easy. I was in awe of the early settlers of the western states for traversing the rough terrain of Colorado to establish towns tucked into sides of mountains. The fact that railroad trains course through tunnels and hang off steep embankments also made me think of the awesome feats of engineering.

Then I arrived in Moab. If you’ve never had the opportunity to travel to this part of Utah, check out some travel books from the Library and look at the photos. Moab is near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The red rock formations are so beautiful that the reward for a two day drive is worth the wait. The scenery is so different from Colorado, but is so awesomely stunning. The natural forces that worked to carve out this landscape also bring one word to mind, awesome. Again, my thoughts turned to early settlers and their sense of awe and wonder at the beauty of the land and their gratefulness at arriving safely. Some things never change, I, too, was deeply grateful for the awesome scenery and the relative ease of this awesome trip.

Jan Q.
North Oak Branch