This morning, my last in Nauvoo, I walked down the trail of hope, and listened to actors portray some of the saints who left Nauvoo to head west and settle Salt Lake City. It took them 6 long months. They endured such hardship, foregoing material possessions and facing the loss of loved ones. I'm not sure if I could make it through something like that...but I do know that my life has not prepared me for a trek on foot across thousands of miles.
We live in such comfort compared to those in 1846. We can communicate a the touch of a button. We have air conditioning. We have cars. We have cellphones. Upon my arrival in Nauvoo, I was shocked that I had no cellphone reception. I mean...if I left my phone on the top right corner of my pillow it would ring when someone called me, but if I picked it up, I lost the call.
I had to learn a new way if communication with my friends and family. If we were going out, we had to decide when and where to meet. If I needed to ask them something, I walked the 4 blocks to their hotel. It reminded me that once people communicated when they met in person. They said hi to strangers on the streets--wouldn't you if you weren't exactly sure when you would see or speak with your loved ones next? Families lived close together and gathered for important events.
In Nauvoo, people still strike up conversations when you walk into a room full of strangers. They acknowledge you--which is something that I hardly do. They wave when you're out walking and they drive by or vice versa.
This little piece of humanity was so refreshing. So often as I run about in my busy life, I pretend that the others around me aren't people at all but are simply fixtures like the elevator call button. When the elevator arrives we all step in, and unless you have met before, most people stare straight ahead avoiding eye contact in such a confined space. Of course this is worse in larger cities like New York where it generally permeate everywhere you go, but it's getting bad in places like church where people should be familiar with one another. I know that I'm so busy being self conscious, that I don't think about making someone else's day better. How can you if you don't talk to them? That's one thing I learned in Nauvoo.
When I was in upstate New York, I heard a woman speak about how she missed the sense of community she once had with her neighbors. I can't help but wonder if this is one of the effects of technology. Yes, we can communicate with our loved ones a world away, but we are becoming less present in our own lives and in our "interactions" with others.
This has come up over and over again for me this summer. In fact we had a discussion about it at work before I left for Nauvoo. And now, my summer is winding down as I head back to my busy life.
I stood at the end of Parley's Street on the east bank of the Mississippi river facing west this morning. What hope the pioneers had as they went to settle a land that would be their (and my) home. It's hard to believe that I will be engaging in the same journey...except mine will only take about 6 hours. I am thankful for our modern conveniences, but as I leave the city of Nauvoo, I hope to never forget the lessons I learned there.
