On the Edge of Life and Death

Katy Pelchy
On the Edge of Life and Death
Solace of Fierce Landscapes

"The desert fathers and mothers chose their barren locale because its values matched their own. They, too, opted to thrive on the boundary where life and death meet, living as simply as possible, with as few words as necessary, separated from the fragile anxieties of the world they had left behind.”

Why would one want to thrive on the edge of life and death? With a reminder of the tragedy and fragileness of life on their doorstep? The text indicates that it is because the values of the locale match the values of the people who live there. But which values are those? I think that the values are the blessedness of life. Life is taken for granted, but living on the edge of death makes one see life for what it is: a gift. Living next to death would make me joyous of being alive. There is no room for frivolous worries or superficial problems, because one has to concentrate on staying alive. I think that to live in such a place would be refreshing and eye-opening. To live there would be to ensure that one never takes life for granted again, and it would make it so that every happy moment is appreciated and lived to the fullest. In my life today, in the middle of suburbia, I have days where I just want to curl up and do nothing for absolutely no reason other than I’m tired of life and its issues. Living in a fierce wilderness such as the desert would make those days nonexistent, for there IS no empty drama or room to sit around and be sad. You are constantly reminded that today is another day, and that days are numbered so you must enjoy them. Otherwise, a quick reminder of the fragility of life serves to sober ones senses very quickly. I’d like to live in a world such as that. Life would be so much…simpler.