It vs. You

How does our interaction with a place relate to our experiencing it as an object, an "it," versus encountering the place as a subject, a "thou?" 

Our interaction with certain places will vary depending on the place and it's important to us. Grammar rules tell us that places should be replaced by the preposition "it" which in my opinion limits the personal significance of the place. When thinking of a place as sacred, it is important to become as familiar with that place as possible. Buber's book touches on the idea of relationship with a place when he writes "I-You establishes the world of relation (56). Just as you would get to know a person very well before entering in to a relationship with them, you would need to gain a personal relationship with your sacred place before it really became sacred. In order to move past the experience of a place, action must be taken to begin building a relationship. By replacing "it" with "you," we open up opportunity for building a relationship with a place in the same manner as getting to know a person. This mindset will have you start noticing characteristics about how the place makes you feel, what unique qualities the place has, and other characteristics beyond the external sights. These are all qualities we start to notice with people the more we get to know them. 

My personal example of how perspective can change involves a creek. I chose this location because it is a significant feature of the camp that I work at. If we think of the creek as an "it" it will be simply a stomping ground for young children and a source of water for adventures. However if we personify the creek it becomes a peaceful habitat full of living creatures that possesses a sacred serenity for those who choose to encounter the water passage. By changing this perspective we also open up the opportunity for the characteristics of the creek to speak back to us. This can be interpreted differently between individuals but it makes the relationship between creek and human reciprocal. I agree with Buber's statement "Relation is reciprocity.” (58) because it further opens the door for the idea of a relationship between man and nature. Relationships are not one sided but rather a combined effort of two parties. In my opinion this is important to understand because it is the basis for the purpose of replacing "it" with "you."