I was fifteen years old when I decided I wanted to be Bonnie Abbzug when I grew up. This is also when I learned about feminism. When I started dreaming about living in an airstream, in the mountains, not tied down to anything. When I first learned of the American Southwest. And, when I decided, that one day I would blow up a dam. I was fifteen years old when I first read     The Monkey Wrench Gang.

A few posts back, I told you My Conservation Story. I've written several posts about public lands, such as My Public Land and Who Will We Be? I try to be as involved in the issue as possible, but I'll admit, it's exhausting. I've gotten discouraged and then lazy and have almost given up; until I spent the last two weeks on the couch.
You see, I'm down an organ and confined to not hiking, fishing, lifting, or bending over. Which means I've spent a lot of time communing with some of my favorite literary friends, like Edward Abbey.

If you've read The Monkey Wrench Gang or any other works of Abbey, you may find my correlation a bit confusing. Yes, I'm fully aware the man was adamantly against government overreach, including public lands, but we live in a world very different than Abbey's.
I sat down with "the gang" to escape and forget my couch ridden days, but I ended up with a renewed sense of purpose. I was 15 again and dreaming of knocking down billboards (especially those on highway 40) and living in a tin can. I thought about all the ways to prevent Bear's Ears from drilling and all the times I've driven through Chaco National Park. Once again, I opened my computer to send emails regarding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, called a few of my legislators, and decided that while I may not be able to be in the outdoors, I can still speak for them, even from a couch.

I'm sure that Abbzug and her male companions would already be near any drilling site they could find, tampering with gear, planning to blow up drilling sites, and having the adventure of a lifetime. But, for now, I'll stay on my couch and wait for a wealthy doctor to fund my questionable conservation efforts while making my voice heard, in any way possible.

P.S Take some time to read The Monkey Wrench Gang, you'll be more "well-read" because of it!