Last week, Shannon (our lovely Education Coordinator) and I went to see Mark Angelo’s talk entitled “Wild Water, Wild Earth” at the Stanley Theatre. Among many other accomplishments and titles, Mark is the Program Head of the Fish Wildlife and Recreation program at BCIT and the founder of BC and World Rivers Day. He is also a paddler, photographer and adventurer. Shannon and I spent a wonderful hour looking at his pictures and listening to stories from his travels all over the world.

As I left and returned home that evening, I could not stop thinking about one picture in particular. It was of an elderly woman sitting on steps beside the Ganges River in India. She was looking towards the water, an incredible expression of respect and intimacy on her face. Her entire body powerfully illustrated her reverence for the river. She looked as if she had a relationship with the water, as if she knew the river.

The image of this woman has stayed with me since the presentation and I can not help but think about my own relationship with the Fraser. What does my face look like when I look at the water? When I’m stuck in bridge line-ups, it is probably frustration. When log booms pass by my office window, it is probably curiosity. When I’m driving through the canyon, it is probably awe. But is it ever intimacy?

What about you? What would your face show?