On this mild, spring evening I realize that all around me nature takes two forms – the wild and the tame. Everywhere new life is beginning to sprout. Directly behind me are various trees with green tips beginning to mask the dull brown bark of winter. Beneath my feet vivacious green grass struggles to emerge through the remaining dead, dry leaves of fall and winter. At various places in my yard – lining the deck, under the tree directly in front of me, and even at both sides of the swing I am sitting on – pre-planted flowers start to tamely grow where my mother had planted them years ago. Slowly the remnants of winter are being engulfed by the birth of spring.
Across the street to my left the farmer’s field is even different. The shattered remains of last year’s corn harvest have disappeared under the machine ploughed soil where the farmer is preparing to plant a new crop. The trees that line the back of the fields are now beginning to hide the school and surrounding houses. No longer can I unintentionally spy on the neighbors living on the other side of the farmer’s field.
In the wind that caresses my face I smell the freshness of new life. The scent of budding flowers with the pollen that tickles my nose overwhelms my senses. I smell the freshly mowed grass from my over-eager neighbor who is obviously anxious for the weekly ritual that lawn care requires.
My ears are filled with the sounds of spring. The hidden birds chirp merrily in the trees conversing with long lost friends who migrated south for the winter and have now returned for the summer months yet to come. I swear I even hear a lonesome cricket crying out for its companions as the evening sun prepares to dip below the never ending horizon. The barrenness of winter is finally being replaced by the plentitude of spring, and the once resting nature is springing to new life once again.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Profoundly Nature
Defining nature is an impossible task. I used to think that nature was anything untouched by human hands. It was something that was pure and genuine. I have read things where the city is nature, the human is nature, and the country is nature. I’m beginning to think that nature is one of those terms that will never truly be defined.
Even through the study of a single place nature still remains undefined. I feel closer or more aware of nature then I have in the past. I never really stopped long enough to take notice of anything. That is one thing that this class has taught me. Even by observing the same place every week I have noticed things that I have never noticed before. It has caused me to remember what nature meant to me as a child and to see how that perception has changed with age and maturity.
One thing that I have learned is that nature is a mystery and a blessing all tied into one. It is a calming presence. It makes everything else seem so trivial or simple. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but people tend to make life more difficult than it has to be. For me, nature is a reminder that life isn’t as completed as I sometimes think.
I would really like to take my observations and my insights from the last several months and turn them into a reflective manuscript. I found it easy to write about nature and its influences on me and my life. It is also something that everyone can relate to and something that people need to become more aware of in life. It is something that people take for granted that needs to be rediscovered and appreciated.
Even through the study of a single place nature still remains undefined. I feel closer or more aware of nature then I have in the past. I never really stopped long enough to take notice of anything. That is one thing that this class has taught me. Even by observing the same place every week I have noticed things that I have never noticed before. It has caused me to remember what nature meant to me as a child and to see how that perception has changed with age and maturity.
One thing that I have learned is that nature is a mystery and a blessing all tied into one. It is a calming presence. It makes everything else seem so trivial or simple. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but people tend to make life more difficult than it has to be. For me, nature is a reminder that life isn’t as completed as I sometimes think.
I would really like to take my observations and my insights from the last several months and turn them into a reflective manuscript. I found it easy to write about nature and its influences on me and my life. It is also something that everyone can relate to and something that people need to become more aware of in life. It is something that people take for granted that needs to be rediscovered and appreciated.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Daffodils
When I read Becca's blog, http://backyardtransliteration.blogspot.com/2009/04/dancing-with-daffodils.html, William Wordsworth's poem popped into my head, “The Daffodils”. Maybe this is because my students have recently read that poem, or maybe because it is one of my favorites. This particular poem always pops into my head around this time of year.
I picture a scene with daffodils that sway, dance, and move in the wind. It is such a refreshing image as the dreariness of winter vanishes once again. Daffodils have become my hope for the arrival of spring.
To be honest, I cannot look at a daffodil without seeing it as a living and breathing object. They are so cheery – their yellow glow pulling smiles from all who notice. Their fragrance chases out the stagnant air of winter. Their durability even in the face of a last minute, surprise snowfall providing encouragement for all to hang on just a little bit longer.
Maybe it’s the eternal optimist coming out or maybe it’s the childlike eagerness anxiously waiting for summer to finally come, but the daffodils help to sooth my mind. They remind me that there is more to life than waking up, going to work, running numerous errands, laundry, cleaning, dishes, then finally sleep once again. The daffodils force me to realize that life is more than stress if I simply step back and breathe.
I picture a scene with daffodils that sway, dance, and move in the wind. It is such a refreshing image as the dreariness of winter vanishes once again. Daffodils have become my hope for the arrival of spring.
To be honest, I cannot look at a daffodil without seeing it as a living and breathing object. They are so cheery – their yellow glow pulling smiles from all who notice. Their fragrance chases out the stagnant air of winter. Their durability even in the face of a last minute, surprise snowfall providing encouragement for all to hang on just a little bit longer.
Maybe it’s the eternal optimist coming out or maybe it’s the childlike eagerness anxiously waiting for summer to finally come, but the daffodils help to sooth my mind. They remind me that there is more to life than waking up, going to work, running numerous errands, laundry, cleaning, dishes, then finally sleep once again. The daffodils force me to realize that life is more than stress if I simply step back and breathe.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunny Attractions
A figure from nature that has always fascinated me is the sun. It’s part of every landscape on every continent all the time. No matter where I’m at the sun is always there – visible or invisible. For some reason my eyes are always drawn to it.
The first thing I do in the morning is open my blinds to let in the light. Of course, some days it is brighter than others. I refuse to close my blinds again until all traces of the sun are gone. In my classroom the blinds are always open so that I can turn off the florescent lights and teach by the natural light from the sun.
At first I assumed this fascination with the sun stemmed from my fear of the dark. I’ve always had that fear. It was something that I thought I would eventually grow out of. Of course, I still have it just not as bad as when I was a child. But now I realize that the sun fascinates me for reasons beyond fear.
For me the sun represents stability. It is a constant sight that I can always count on whether it is visible in the sky or hidden by clouds. I know it is always there. The moon even gets it light from the sun, so in essence the sun is even there in the night. It is nice to have something so stable in a world full of instability – a world that constantly changes.
I find in a lot of my poetry that the sun is always referred to somehow. I have even written several poems where the sun is the central image. It always evokes such strong emotions and desires from me, which I feel is the basis of good poetry. Plus, it is a sight that almost everyone can relate to in some for or other. It is a central image of connection. No one can escape the sun.
The first thing I do in the morning is open my blinds to let in the light. Of course, some days it is brighter than others. I refuse to close my blinds again until all traces of the sun are gone. In my classroom the blinds are always open so that I can turn off the florescent lights and teach by the natural light from the sun.
At first I assumed this fascination with the sun stemmed from my fear of the dark. I’ve always had that fear. It was something that I thought I would eventually grow out of. Of course, I still have it just not as bad as when I was a child. But now I realize that the sun fascinates me for reasons beyond fear.
For me the sun represents stability. It is a constant sight that I can always count on whether it is visible in the sky or hidden by clouds. I know it is always there. The moon even gets it light from the sun, so in essence the sun is even there in the night. It is nice to have something so stable in a world full of instability – a world that constantly changes.
I find in a lot of my poetry that the sun is always referred to somehow. I have even written several poems where the sun is the central image. It always evokes such strong emotions and desires from me, which I feel is the basis of good poetry. Plus, it is a sight that almost everyone can relate to in some for or other. It is a central image of connection. No one can escape the sun.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Unseen Connection
Pam makes a good point in her blog, http://gentleplanet.blogspot.com/2009/03/healing-power.html, about how nature connects people in ways they never thought they would. She says, “We are all connected. There are people who have not yet seen that connection but that doesn’t mean that they are not connected to each other and to us. That is happening to all of us right now if we will just pause, breathe and be aware.”
In my opinion, the biggest problem with our society today is that no one stops long enough to notice or appreciate anything. We are in such a hurry to live life to the fullest that we miss out on a lot of things in the process. That is also why industrialization is slowly eating away at the vast forests and fields that are pivotal to natural habitats. We are too busy looking to the future and technological advances that we don’t notice the damage and harm we are causing in the present.
Like Pam finishes, “Be in the moment.” Learn to live life for the small moments and the small gifts that are all around us. It creates a lot less stress and a more connected life: to nature, our surroundings, and the others who inhabit the Earth with us.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with our society today is that no one stops long enough to notice or appreciate anything. We are in such a hurry to live life to the fullest that we miss out on a lot of things in the process. That is also why industrialization is slowly eating away at the vast forests and fields that are pivotal to natural habitats. We are too busy looking to the future and technological advances that we don’t notice the damage and harm we are causing in the present.
Like Pam finishes, “Be in the moment.” Learn to live life for the small moments and the small gifts that are all around us. It creates a lot less stress and a more connected life: to nature, our surroundings, and the others who inhabit the Earth with us.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Passivity Not Enough
A blue canvas encompasses the Earth.
The sun a crayon for the ages
Casting yellows, reds, pinks, and oranges
Across the sky.
Birds flying over the page
Leaving their mark on the eye.
Preparation for a new birth.
The sun a crayon for the ages
Casting yellows, reds, pinks, and oranges
Across the sky.
Birds flying over the page
Leaving their mark on the eye.
Preparation for a new birth.
Two days ago the weather was beautiful – a bit chilly but refreshing. I just couldn’t stay cooped up inside on such a beautiful evening, so I decided that it was the perfect time to stop everything and go sit in my spot.
As I sat there, I saw the hickory tree in my yard that was right in front of me on the swing starting to sprout buds where the leaves are trying to make themselves known again. I saw the bright, vibrant, green grass peeking out from underneath the brown, dull leaves of fall and winter beneath my feet. In the front yard, across the street, I saw the remains of the farmer’s harvest glowing in the evening sun.
Suddenly, sitting by passively watching nature wasn’t enough for me. I had to get up and interact with it. Maybe it was my body’s way of saying, “Hey, give me a little exercise,” or maybe it was the Indian teachings of last week’s readings about connecting with nature in a personal way. Who knows, but just sitting in my spot wasn’t enough.
What I ended up doing was starting out on a two mile walk around my country block. Along my walk I saw a wood duck and a mallard swimming in a small, small pond down the road from my house. When they finally saw me, we engaged in a staring contest that they won of course, so I continued on my walk.
After I had travelled about a mile I found myself surrounded by trees on both sides of the road. I used to know these woods as well as my own back hand. We had made numerous paths in them as children. I noticed that there was a new path in them that I had never seen before. It looked like someone’s dirt bike or quad trail, and I decided I was going to go and check it out. I must have walked in circles following this path. Up slight hills, steep hills, circling around trees and bushes, and just wandering about through the forest.
Then I saw an end in sight. The path brought me out to a farmer’s field that was directly behind my house, past the trees. The only difference is that I was higher up in the field. The sight standing before me was amazing. I saw clear blue skies, golden fields, domineering mountains, and the colors of spring finally wiping out the dullness of winter. It was breath taking and well worth the extra two miles out of my way! I just stood there looking around for about twenty minutes amazed at the beauty before me.
When I was done and realized that I needed to head back home before it got dark, I took a mental picture with my mind. I also felt much more relaxed, free, uninhibited, and calm. This sight helped to put my life back into perspective. I wish everyone had the opportunity to feel completely in touch with their surroundings. Maybe our lives would seem less stressful.
As I sat there, I saw the hickory tree in my yard that was right in front of me on the swing starting to sprout buds where the leaves are trying to make themselves known again. I saw the bright, vibrant, green grass peeking out from underneath the brown, dull leaves of fall and winter beneath my feet. In the front yard, across the street, I saw the remains of the farmer’s harvest glowing in the evening sun.
Suddenly, sitting by passively watching nature wasn’t enough for me. I had to get up and interact with it. Maybe it was my body’s way of saying, “Hey, give me a little exercise,” or maybe it was the Indian teachings of last week’s readings about connecting with nature in a personal way. Who knows, but just sitting in my spot wasn’t enough.
What I ended up doing was starting out on a two mile walk around my country block. Along my walk I saw a wood duck and a mallard swimming in a small, small pond down the road from my house. When they finally saw me, we engaged in a staring contest that they won of course, so I continued on my walk.
After I had travelled about a mile I found myself surrounded by trees on both sides of the road. I used to know these woods as well as my own back hand. We had made numerous paths in them as children. I noticed that there was a new path in them that I had never seen before. It looked like someone’s dirt bike or quad trail, and I decided I was going to go and check it out. I must have walked in circles following this path. Up slight hills, steep hills, circling around trees and bushes, and just wandering about through the forest.
Then I saw an end in sight. The path brought me out to a farmer’s field that was directly behind my house, past the trees. The only difference is that I was higher up in the field. The sight standing before me was amazing. I saw clear blue skies, golden fields, domineering mountains, and the colors of spring finally wiping out the dullness of winter. It was breath taking and well worth the extra two miles out of my way! I just stood there looking around for about twenty minutes amazed at the beauty before me.
When I was done and realized that I needed to head back home before it got dark, I took a mental picture with my mind. I also felt much more relaxed, free, uninhibited, and calm. This sight helped to put my life back into perspective. I wish everyone had the opportunity to feel completely in touch with their surroundings. Maybe our lives would seem less stressful.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
An Unusual Sanctuary
When I went away to college for my undergraduate degree, I was an outsider for the first time in my life. I was on a campus where no one was familiar and people who looked down on my religious beliefs (the college was Reformed Presbyterian and I was Catholic). In classes I listened to conversations that mocked my religion and outside the classroom I listened to uninformed or ignorantly informed students talking about my faith as if it was something to be ashamed of.
This was the first time I had ever been surrounded by such narrow minded individuals. I had always confronted various religious beliefs from an angle of curiosity instead of from one of disdain, and I really was not prepared to handle the situation.
Across the street from my college apartment was a beautiful wide-open park. I loved to go there late at night when the streets were all quite and I was surrounded by darkness. In the middle of this run-down, dilapidated town full of college students, there was a sanctuary. I could go there at night and not worry about being seen or questioned or criticized.
I would talk to God or just myself even. The swings were my favorite place to sit. I would glide back and forth just to feel the weightlessness. Anybody watching probably thought I was loon swinging on the swings and talking to empty space (that’s why the best time to go was after dark). That park helped me through so many problems. It also helped me to discover who I was and that I was stronger than I looked or even felt.
That is the one thing I miss about college. I haven’t been able to find any other place that calms me or encourages or reinforces me like those swings in that park. I begin to wonder if it was the actual park or my own selfish needs that made that park such a sanctuary. Whichever it is, I am glad that I was able to find it.
This was the first time I had ever been surrounded by such narrow minded individuals. I had always confronted various religious beliefs from an angle of curiosity instead of from one of disdain, and I really was not prepared to handle the situation.
Across the street from my college apartment was a beautiful wide-open park. I loved to go there late at night when the streets were all quite and I was surrounded by darkness. In the middle of this run-down, dilapidated town full of college students, there was a sanctuary. I could go there at night and not worry about being seen or questioned or criticized.
I would talk to God or just myself even. The swings were my favorite place to sit. I would glide back and forth just to feel the weightlessness. Anybody watching probably thought I was loon swinging on the swings and talking to empty space (that’s why the best time to go was after dark). That park helped me through so many problems. It also helped me to discover who I was and that I was stronger than I looked or even felt.
That is the one thing I miss about college. I haven’t been able to find any other place that calms me or encourages or reinforces me like those swings in that park. I begin to wonder if it was the actual park or my own selfish needs that made that park such a sanctuary. Whichever it is, I am glad that I was able to find it.
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