A social media friend of mine shared a link to a video of John Wayne throwing a kid into deep creek. Actually it was John Wayne playing the title character from the movie, Hondo. And the movie was based on the book, by the same name, written by Louis L’Amour. His books were partly the products of imagination and largely a part of Mister L’amour’s exceptional ability to visualize terrain. I didn’t know that before today.
No, his storytelling skill wasn’t just a product of imagination.
But his books are fictional accounts of the old west. In fact, if you bring up the subject of old west fiction, anyone who’s lived more than two or three decades will almost immediately think of Louis L’Amour.
My friend’s reference nudged me to do a little research on Louis’ visualization skills. I discovered this:
~ His knack for describing landscapes wasn’t just a product of imagination. It was deeply rooted in his real-life experiences and meticulous research. L’Amour traveled extensively across the American West, working jobs like cowboy, miner, and lumberjack, which gave him firsthand knowledge of the rugged landscapes he later depicted. He walked the trails, climbed the mountains, and crossed the deserts he wrote about. And he absorbed the details that brought his settings to life. ~
And I saw a snippet that mentioned Hondo specifically. It said:
~ For instance, in novels like Hondo, the terrain isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a character. And it helps shape the plot and the people in it as much character descriptions and dialogue. ~
Apparently Louis L’Amour could paint a mental picture of a canyon’s twists or a river’s flow so clearly that readers felt they could navigate it themselves. And that was a result of his habit of studying maps, hanging out in locations, talking to old-timers, and even sketching landscapes to lock them into memory.
L’Amour said he could “see” a place in his mind before writing about it.
He said he’d “mentally walk through it.” And that’s how he could visualize the sun’s angle, the scrub brush’s texture, or how a horse’s hooves would kick up dust on a dry ridge.
But there’s nothing mystical about his talent. He honed his skills by actually living in those kinds of places. And he had a genuine, lifelong curiosity about the land’s history and geology. Plus he photographed locations and studied the pictures to double-check his mental images of them. And he researched historical records to be sure his stories were accurate and authentic.
I guess his imagination and ability to visualize stories was pretty good. Because he wrote over a 120 books. Not to mention (but I will) all his short stories and other writings. And plenty of those were turned into big screen, and even made-for-TV, movies.
Sure, that’s all impressive. But I always “see” something else at work when I read or hear about “special skills.” And I know they aren’t just a “product of imagination” or “ability to visualize.” Those talents are gifts from God. And no matter how amazing they might seem, they’re just a shadow of what God wants for us.
Paul put it this way: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
In the chorus of my song, Perfect Point of View, I visualized it this way:
I fly…till tangled thoughts untie,
Up where my dreams are all true blue.
So high…ideas electrify
And charge a perfect point of view.
And one day, sooner than you might imagine, the Lord of creation is gonna give everyone who loves Him that perfect point of view. I, to that, I say “Hi yo, Hondo! Let’s go!”
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