A Love Letter to WY as a Writer-In-Residence
Well, well, well, if it isn't me on my long-neglected blog. It's honestly probably a miracle I was able to log in here.
But hurrah! I was able to, so let's jump to why I've resurrected it. (At least, part of the reason why.(; )
This year I applied to and was selected as a Writer-in-Residence for the State Parks and Cultural Resources Artist in Residencies, Celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial. Happy 250 years, America! Get it together!
Oops, maybe I shouldn't make people mad by criticizing our country before I get to the meat of what this is for. Let's focus in. I was selected for this residency, so I went to Guernsey State Park here in Wyoming for four days, and the theme assigned for this celebration was as follows:
Honoring our past: Commemorate Wyoming’s history, places, and people.
Examining our present: Review Wyoming’s role in America today.
Imagining our future: Plan for Wyoming’s leadership in America’s future.
It's fairly well known that I held a deep loathing for Wyoming for a lot of years, so I'm sure it's more than a mild surprise to hear this was something I wanted to partake in. But it was, and I'm glad to have been chosen for it. My perspective of Wyoming has shifted greatly in recent years, for many reasons. As a mother, and a more active participant in the community, with a deeper respect for what people here do and what they seek, I'm honored to have had the opportunity to engage in this way. I was also given the chance to present my writing to a small group at the end of the residency, which, while nerve-wracking for someone who is a bit obsessive about her writing and its quality and usually prefers to edit things six or seven thousand times before sharing, was an expected delight, too. I met some tremendous people and had fantastic conversations with them.
I enjoyed this residency so much that I wanted to share my thoughts further here, and maybe give people a little more insight into how I've changed, and my views accordingly. Parallel, of course, is this idea that change is not inherently a bad thing, no matter the scale, and that holds true for the future of Wyoming.
Anyway. I am quite proud to live here, with all its imperfections. I've found an appreciation I used to never have for this place. I hope I was able to honor it well, and illustrate the hope I have for it.
Thanks for reading!
--H.
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