Internal And External Landscapes

3 Pages 777 Words

Internal and External Landscapes

Many people would agree that the physical world and our personal disposition are completely different. One’s personal frame of mind varies from each personality, but the physical world does not change. However, perhaps it is possible that one’s outlook can affect their perception of the physical world. Many experiences reflect how one interprets the tangible world. Barry Lopez refers to this as our internal and external landscapes in his short story “Landscape and Narrative”. His story follows other storytellers and shows the difference between internal and external landscapes and how they are related.
It was the day before my birthday when my good friend decided to take me to a concert. I am a big fan of music and I was pretty excited to see this band. It was also going to be my first concert at the Sunshine Theatre, and I immediately liked that environment. The way people react emotionally affects how they visualize the theatre. Some people would have despised the dark, old place and the loud speakers ringing in their ears. I, on the other hand, loved everything from the wicked guitar riffs to the occasional mosh pit. Trusting in those below me, who I had never seen in my life, as I crowd surfed toward the stage without a care in the world, the people seemed to just pass me on while they enjoyed the show as well. It felt like everyone had a similar external landscape because we all understood each others disposition. Knowing that most of the people felt exactly like I did, that their internal landscape was similar, also determined my positive outlook on my external landscape. The atmosphere seemed perfect to me because I was enjoying myself, but your internal landscape changes all the time.
One transition that clearly stands out in my mind was when I kept getting pushed to the front, right on the stage. At first I though that being so close was going to be even...