The Desert
Tara Buzard is a writer that lives in Wisconsin, but has done extensive travel in New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California.
Tara said this is based on a trip that she took with her father told from the point of view a nine year old girl.
After checking with her father, she found out that the memory of a nine year old twenty- nine years later isn’t exactly accurate.
For instance, the story actually takes place in Arizona not New Mexico, the “castle” is a cliff dwelling called Montezuma’s Castle, the ”large hole” is Montezuma’s Well which is actually not a mile across but only a few hundred yards wide, and finally Kissing Bugs can kill but not instantly .
The Desert
by Tara Buzard
A young girl takes her first step into the state of New Mexico where the land has painted her foot a dusty red. Beneath the red dust are layers of earth that contain a hidden life and historical past.
Quickly she follows her father, trying to keep up with his eager pace. He is out to explore and teach her about life as it existed at that time and how it had always existed there before. Keeping up with the pace, she listens to the words her father uses to describe what insects to keep an eye out for, like the kissing bug. In her child-like mind, it seemed as if bugs needed to keep an eye out for her. At any moment she could possibly be their ultimate destruction as her footsteps may be unaware of what is beneath them. What could be so bad about a kissing bug anyway? He told her that inside of the bug there was a poison that could take her life and she would become part of the very red dust she walked on. Despite how frightening it seemed, she went on eager like her father to explore more of what interesting things this barren looking land had to offer.
The exploration continued and eventually they came to a castle in the canyon, which had entry ways that made the rock display itself as an enormous playground. She imagined herself being one of the children who once inhabited this playground and how they lived. Her father would read the small display signs along the tourist path describing the life of these forgotten people. They were the pueblo people, who were remarkably small stature people who had the ability to somehow create a life in a world that many modern people of her day would consider to be undesirable. Yet, this little girl found this environment even more compelling than before. Having the freedom to be able to live outside and feel the constant elements around you at all times made you feel that you were a part of some bigger life system. This same feeling didn’t exist at home, which was Los Angeles, CA. The only elements that surrounded her there was smog. Here in New Mexico she was able to breathe and celebrate the feeling of life being brought into her very soul.
Breathing deeply and holding her head high up to the sky so she could feel the sun bathe the skin on her face, she continued to follow her father. They walked further through the desert, but the experience became more of a thrill when she realized there were no longer any signs or tourists’ paths in which they had been previously been following in such an expected orderly fashion. As she looked up at her father she could tell that he too was just as entertained by the idea of going off the tourist path. It is hard to explain the feeling when one breaks order and is allowed to have the freedom to explore alone.
Eventually going off the path they were somehow led to a large symmetrical hole in the ground, which spanned about a mile in diameter. Her father asked her to carefully step to the edge and look below. As she looked down the hole was filled with crystal clear blue water. Then as she scanned the walls of the canyon hole with her curious eyes she noticed the same small entry ways they had previously seen and pointed them out to her father. It was hard for her to believe how the people were able to get inside these entryways. Her father later told her that they made ropes that they were able to climb down and get inside. How neat was that idea, to be able to swing on inside your house? That sounded like something that she thought she could get used to. At this place she had convinced herself that this was indeed the place where she thought she could live forever. Yet, what she didn’t realize was that she was young and trusting of the world around her, oblivious to the fact that her father was always there in order to protect her from the danger that actually existed. The land to her may look like paradise, but smog in L.A. is only a small consequence against life compared to the many consequences that exist out in the desert. In the desert one must be in constant alert of danger that can strike at any moment. This did not occur to her in her mind until she was to experience a life or death situation first hand. All this time her father guarded her, allowing her to cherish the good things that nature had to offer. He wanted her to first appreciate nature and then worry about the consequences. This method of learning would help her be able to explore nature and be cautious rather than be afraid of it all together. Yet, today she would learn of these possible consequences faster than her father intended her to.
It all started when her father decided it was time to take a break and have a seat along the edge of the hole. Seconds before her father made himself comfortable on what he thought was just firm red dusty dirt, he heard a loud shout “Daddy, it’s a kissing bug!” He jumped up and quickly got away and looked down at the bug. He realized that it was actually a kissing bug and that she just saved his life.
At that moment, she recalled her father telling her about the danger of the kissing bug and how she proudly shrugged its importance off her shoulder. Yet, when the time came to experience what could have been a matter of life and death for the one she loved, she realized it was more important than she thought.
They eventually left the hole and decided to return back to the orderly path that they started out on and went home. Thinking back on the situation that day she pondered her view towards the desert that she thought she ever so desired, but came to the conclusion that looks can be deceiving and even though some place might seem better than the place you are at the time, there is no place like home.
Tara said this is based on a trip that she took with her father told from the point of view a nine year old girl.
After checking with her father, she found out that the memory of a nine year old twenty- nine years later isn’t exactly accurate.
For instance, the story actually takes place in Arizona not New Mexico, the “castle” is a cliff dwelling called Montezuma’s Castle, the ”large hole” is Montezuma’s Well which is actually not a mile across but only a few hundred yards wide, and finally Kissing Bugs can kill but not instantly .
The Desert
by Tara Buzard
A young girl takes her first step into the state of New Mexico where the land has painted her foot a dusty red. Beneath the red dust are layers of earth that contain a hidden life and historical past.
Quickly she follows her father, trying to keep up with his eager pace. He is out to explore and teach her about life as it existed at that time and how it had always existed there before. Keeping up with the pace, she listens to the words her father uses to describe what insects to keep an eye out for, like the kissing bug. In her child-like mind, it seemed as if bugs needed to keep an eye out for her. At any moment she could possibly be their ultimate destruction as her footsteps may be unaware of what is beneath them. What could be so bad about a kissing bug anyway? He told her that inside of the bug there was a poison that could take her life and she would become part of the very red dust she walked on. Despite how frightening it seemed, she went on eager like her father to explore more of what interesting things this barren looking land had to offer.
The exploration continued and eventually they came to a castle in the canyon, which had entry ways that made the rock display itself as an enormous playground. She imagined herself being one of the children who once inhabited this playground and how they lived. Her father would read the small display signs along the tourist path describing the life of these forgotten people. They were the pueblo people, who were remarkably small stature people who had the ability to somehow create a life in a world that many modern people of her day would consider to be undesirable. Yet, this little girl found this environment even more compelling than before. Having the freedom to be able to live outside and feel the constant elements around you at all times made you feel that you were a part of some bigger life system. This same feeling didn’t exist at home, which was Los Angeles, CA. The only elements that surrounded her there was smog. Here in New Mexico she was able to breathe and celebrate the feeling of life being brought into her very soul.
Breathing deeply and holding her head high up to the sky so she could feel the sun bathe the skin on her face, she continued to follow her father. They walked further through the desert, but the experience became more of a thrill when she realized there were no longer any signs or tourists’ paths in which they had been previously been following in such an expected orderly fashion. As she looked up at her father she could tell that he too was just as entertained by the idea of going off the tourist path. It is hard to explain the feeling when one breaks order and is allowed to have the freedom to explore alone.
Eventually going off the path they were somehow led to a large symmetrical hole in the ground, which spanned about a mile in diameter. Her father asked her to carefully step to the edge and look below. As she looked down the hole was filled with crystal clear blue water. Then as she scanned the walls of the canyon hole with her curious eyes she noticed the same small entry ways they had previously seen and pointed them out to her father. It was hard for her to believe how the people were able to get inside these entryways. Her father later told her that they made ropes that they were able to climb down and get inside. How neat was that idea, to be able to swing on inside your house? That sounded like something that she thought she could get used to. At this place she had convinced herself that this was indeed the place where she thought she could live forever. Yet, what she didn’t realize was that she was young and trusting of the world around her, oblivious to the fact that her father was always there in order to protect her from the danger that actually existed. The land to her may look like paradise, but smog in L.A. is only a small consequence against life compared to the many consequences that exist out in the desert. In the desert one must be in constant alert of danger that can strike at any moment. This did not occur to her in her mind until she was to experience a life or death situation first hand. All this time her father guarded her, allowing her to cherish the good things that nature had to offer. He wanted her to first appreciate nature and then worry about the consequences. This method of learning would help her be able to explore nature and be cautious rather than be afraid of it all together. Yet, today she would learn of these possible consequences faster than her father intended her to.
It all started when her father decided it was time to take a break and have a seat along the edge of the hole. Seconds before her father made himself comfortable on what he thought was just firm red dusty dirt, he heard a loud shout “Daddy, it’s a kissing bug!” He jumped up and quickly got away and looked down at the bug. He realized that it was actually a kissing bug and that she just saved his life.
At that moment, she recalled her father telling her about the danger of the kissing bug and how she proudly shrugged its importance off her shoulder. Yet, when the time came to experience what could have been a matter of life and death for the one she loved, she realized it was more important than she thought.
They eventually left the hole and decided to return back to the orderly path that they started out on and went home. Thinking back on the situation that day she pondered her view towards the desert that she thought she ever so desired, but came to the conclusion that looks can be deceiving and even though some place might seem better than the place you are at the time, there is no place like home.
