Most people in today's world seem to have lost hope, or as it would seem have very little. When we turn on the television all that can be seen are bombs going off in the middle east, police beating and shooting people in the streets, and the economy taking nose dives. Where could hope be found in this world? Scott Russell Sanders seems to have the answers in his book Hunting for Hope. Each one of his chapters gives a new reason he has found hope in the work we are all living in. The two that I believe are the most important are Beauty and Fidelity. These may seem like an unlikely pairing of ideas in where to find hope but I stand very steady in my belief that everything flows together in a circle of heaven and hell. What we build the circle around reflexes what travels through it. By enforcing our life with beauty and fidelity as the basis for our life that is what we will get out of it.

Let us start by looking at what Hope is. The definition of hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Now what does fidelity and beauty have to do with hope? I would like to focus on the fact that hope is a feeling. Most would not consider fidelity or beauty to be a feeling or emotion. I would beg to differ. Beauty can be a very hard to describe. Again referring to the dictionary, the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest.) This definition provides a sound base for my idea that beauty should be described more as an emotion then as a description. The idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is very close to the truth. Not in the fact that who someone might find pretty and another find ugly, but in the thinking that what a man finds beautiful can say a lot about his character.

If one can find hope in beauty they will start to see more beauty in the world. These horrors that fill the nightly news will start to fade in the the presence of how the snow sparkles in the sunlight, or how walking through the woods, a field, sitting next to a brook fills you with goodness. This is what Sanders in Hunting for Hope is trying to communicate. My belief is that you need more than just beauty to have hope in life, you also need fidelity. This need of fidelity in life is a very basic necessity. You must have fidelity to something to keep you living. If you don’t, then you are not living your life you are merely existing and going through what is expected of you.

Fidelity is defined by the dictionary as a strict observance of promises, duties. This strict observance of promises holds many places in modern and past times. Marriage vows, oaths for military, church, and services to the king are just some examples of how fidelity is demanded. In Celtic Irish tradition the Claddagh represents true fidelity. The Claddagh is a heart crowned with loyalty and given with the hands of friendship. Celtic knots also represent fidelity in connection to the earth. The knots are never ending and always connected to itself, by doing so they create a wondrous, mysterious design that represents the complicated simplicity of life. In the Fidelity chapter Scott Russell Sanders speaks of such Fidelity. He is watching his daughter get ready to commit herself in marriage, looking back at his own relationship with his wife, and watching his son find a passion to fuel his soul. Even before the fidelity chapter Sanders spoke of a loyalty to the earth and to his family. We both agree that the world is connected, just as the Celtic knots show. If you wish to live a hope filled life you need to understand how you connect to your world, understand how your actions will flow not just through you but everyone or thing that you see and touch. Fidelity is important here because you must be faithful to your own values or you won’t leave a good impression on those who meet you.

Finding true fidelity in todays world is challenging. According to Sanders fidelity is “keeping faith with anyone or anything that claims your love” Going through life altering decisions such as picking colleges and majors. Finding people who should be in your life, and finding things you can believe in can be extremely challenging. As I am typing this up, I can’t seem to really find the words to explain how I feel about fidelity. I made the decision this fall that I want to be happy. I want to love what I do everyday and I have picked a college and career path where I believe I can be happy. Along with that decision, I have also gone against many of my family members. They hold very different beliefs than I do. As I have been doing so. It appears that I am pushing some members of my family away. I have gotten into arguments about my beliefs, but after doing so I have had other members of my family come up and congratulate me on sticking to my own thoughts and challenging my family.

Sanders touches upon people who will tell others to “keep their options open” and “look for something better” Sanders seems to be really touching upon what is a huge problem in our society. On one hand being true and honest to yourself and your beliefs is desired, it is taught to never settle for anything and to “look for something sweeter” When does our society consider good enough? Can we ever reach a point where we are happy? Is it wrong to settle for that good enough ideal in life? Mecca’s quote- “You improvise with your ear and your heart. There are no wrong notes. Whatever you feel moved to play, play it.”- really spoke to me. This lesson should be taught in life, not just music. After reading this chapter, fidelity seems to come when you improvise with your life and discover what sounds good and what doesn’t sound good. What you like you keep playing and make it your own. If people can do that, think about what the world would be like.

I and I believe Sanders believes that the way to fix this loss of hope in our society is to try and get people to find hope, peace, and love in the beauty and fidelity of the natural world around them. This includes the human aspects of our world. Some hold the belief that nature does not include the human race. I find this astonishing because we are part of the animal kingdom and we are just as natural as other mammals. We may have advanced technology but it is still natural for us to do so. This love of the world around us can help all of us find hope in the lives we life on a day to day basis. That is why, Hunting for Hope was written. It is the story of one man trying to fill his life with more than just day to day idling. Beauty and Fidelity, and the ways that I will follow suit to fill my life with more.

Sanders, Scott R. Hunting for Hope: A Father's Journeys. Boston: Beacon, 1998. Print.