From The Editor’s Desk: Of Geology And Graduation

By Vernon Robison
Editor
Published June 2, 2010

Last week we learned that a rare natural arch in the Valley of Fire State Park, which had spent eons in forming, had suddenly vanished; collapsing one day, it seems, while no one was watching. Now this is, admittedly, a rather minor news story. After all, it wasn’t the collapse of Yosemite’s El Capitan. Nor was it the stopping up of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful. It wasn’t even the drying up of Lake Mead. It was just a small sandstone arch at the end of an obscure walking trail in a humble Nevada State Park.

Still the story got me to thinking. That sandstone formation had stood there during all the days of my own life thus far, all the days of my father’s life; and my grandfather’s life and my great-grandfather’s life. Throughout the century of the Robison family in the Moapa Valley, we have lived out our nearby lives while that arch has stood there precariously, dwindling away slowly grain by grain. And that timeframe is just a drop in the bucket. It was, of course, standing there long eons before that. Through countless generations of pioneer settlers, native Paiutes and Puebloans and far beyond into distant prehistory, that little arch has seen all of these days come and go.

The recent change to the landscape caused by the arch’s collapse seemed sudden once we realized it had happened last week. But actually it was not. Its fall was really just an inevitable next step. Its collapse was brought about by the same erosive forces that had originally caused its formation. This was not a sudden destructive event but a geologic process that had been ongoing for millennia.

This small but remarkable natural phenomenon has a significance that seems to reverberate into this week’s upcoming events. Tomorrow night is the Moapa Valley High School 2010 Commencement Ceremonies. Roughly 170 graduating seniors, their eyes sparkling with hope and anticipation, will join a procession leading them past an important lifetime milestone. Life is about to change forever for them and for their families. Like the former sandstone arch, this seems like an isolated single event which is causing a sudden change to the landscape. But actually it has been a long gradual process through many years with a multitude of contributing factors.

The parents of these graduates are no doubt bewildered at how quickly the time has passed, and how much is about to change all of a sudden. But it is not really all of a sudden. Rather these young graduates have been formed by a gradual process building day by day, month by month, year by year; shaped by minor incidents and major events. Their daily disappointments and defeats; their tragedies and triumphs; their achievements and afflictions; these things have brought the imperceptible, or sometimes dramatic changes that have shaped the spectacular formation of this graduation class.

But graduation is certainly not an ending. Rather it is a beginning. The magnificent arch of the class of 2010 is still just in its prehistoric infancy. The best is surely yet to come.

There are those in our community who, looking back to their own high school graduations, must view it through a vast landscape containing countless more monumental life formations. To view that distant moment, their vision must strain to see past weddings, anniversaries, distinguished careers, births of children and grandchildren, and finally, the death of friends, colleagues and loved ones. Their view includes thousands of hopeful rising suns, mid-day toils and placid sunsets.

All along the way there has been change for them. They look back past millions of defining experiences and crucial decisions, both great and small, which have shaped, weathered and brought form to their lives. Some of these experiences changed them just one grain at a time. Others were more significant, bringing the torrential downpours of sweet joy or the blasting winds of bitter anguish.

And at last, when the day comes for the final crumbling away, they, as well as all of us, will realize that, like the sandstone arch, this final event was not an abrupt change nor a sudden phenomenon. Rather it was just another final manifestation of the timeless transformative forces that have relentlessly been at work all along; making us what we were…and what we are.

I offer my congratulations to the Class of 2010. I wish them Godspeed in their upcoming adventurous journeys and good luck in their extraordinary lives of constant change.