When a Place Has Its Greatest Impact

8 April, 2019

Once again, I’ve been thinking about when a place has its greatest impact upon us.

I’ve found that a place has its greatest impact not when it’s teeming with people. No, that has the opposite effect. Milling crowds with their cameras and smartphones generally take away from a place. Instead, it’s when a place is at its calmest, it’s quietest, it’s most tranquil that you can really feel its power.

You notice more. You sense more. You feel more. I’ve experienced that with monuments, places of worship, memorials, and more in a number of countries.

Sometimes, you just don’t get that feeling of power, that feeling of awe. Sometimes, you get mixed signals. Sometimes, you just wonder why.

Scott Nesbitt