Mystical Travels of a Philosopher- Through My Eyes

 When I read a book, I see and imagine the scenery taking place in my head, almost like my brain is a movie screen. The book in question is The Crock of Gold by James Stephens. In this magical and mystical story fun of fairies, leprechauns, and mythological creatures, there is also a significant aspect of nature. 

When I take a journey to this world with Stephens as my guide, I read about all of these magical stories, often through the eyes of the philosopher. This philosopher travels around, perhaps in the Irish countryside, getting in all sorts of trouble, and meeting all sorts of characters.

I connected his travels to mine so far, as a study abroad student in Ireland. This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting The Giant's Causeway located above Belfast on the coast of Northern Ireland. I took this picture right near the causeway, capturing the effortlessly beautiful landscape it holds. When reading The Crock of Gold, I picture the funny philosopher trampling around hills and cliffs such as these, where he has all sorts of encounters.

I find myself enjoying Stephens's writing, because it gives me the creative freedom of imaginative interpretation. I allow myself to see the book as I want, and there are so many ways to view this wild read. In fact, in my Literary Ireland class this morning, we were discussing divine imagination, and how our imagination gives us the power to create the world around us. I thank James Stephens for giving me that space to imagine, and I am grateful to be studying in a place that intensifies my imagination.