Writer asks students about home

Staff writer

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link Jim O'Donnell

Jim O’Donnell has spent most of his adult life traveling as a writer and photographer. He shared some of his adventures with Eastern New Mexico University students Thursday at the Jack Williamson Liberal Arts building.

While O’Donnell has traveled around the globe — publishing in National Geographic, New Mexico Magazine, Taos Green Guide and many other publications — he talked mainly about what home means to people.

“I wanted to pose questions and be thought provoking about the idea of home,” O’Donnell said after the lecture. “We’re at a college and a lot of people left home for the first time to be here. So what does it mean to leave your home, especially in this day and age?”

O’Donnell’s lecture touched on growing up in Victor, Colorado, a town that had more than 4,000 people in 1900 but today has less than 400.

O’Donnell also talked about how his family never had the desire to travel and how he was the odd man out.

“More important than where we were born is where do we become ourselves,” he told his audience.

O’Donnell also touched on the environment and how the population increase is forcing humans to build on land that may be hurting animals.

“We can’t survive without a healthy environment, because humans are dependent on it,” O’Donnell said. “In terms of our ecosystem, I think we need to think about setting aside important ecological areas like wilderness areas and rivers, but I don’t have all the answers.”

During a short Q and A session after the 40-minute lecture, O’Donnell touched on how sports can bring a community together and make a place you live feel like home.

“I played soccer a lot, especially when I was in Europe,” he said. “So I see how it can bring people together, but I never watched it.”