The Power of Poetry

Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Journey,” spoke directly to Barbara O’Grady during her transition from a geologist to her calling as an interpretive guide in Yellowstone National Park.  O’Grady is the June subject of AARP’s “Your Life Calling with Jane Pauley” TV series. 

See also: An accomplished geologist finds her life calling

In March, Mary Oliver opened up to Maria Shriver in Oprah Winfrey’s ‘O’ magazine, something that she rarely does.  Shriver asked Oliver whether she’s “happiest sitting at the desk or walking in the woods;” Oliver responded, “probably walking in the woods, because I do feel like I vanish and become part of the natural world,” similar to what Barbara O’Grady admits doing on hikes with friends in Yellowstone.  In Jane Pauley’s interview, Barbara O’Grady recites the poem that helped guide her down the path to her reinvention.