Nature--Teacher, Soother, Healer (journal # 1--second 1/4)
The Romantic artists of the 19th century viewed nature differently from their neoclassic predecessors. To the Romantics, Nature wasn't just an orderly scientific force to be studied and predicted. The Romantics worshiped the beauty, the strangeness, the evolution, and the wildness of Nature. They looked to Nature as a teacher (To a Waterfowl), as a soother (I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud), and as a healer (Thanatopsis).So I ask you, neither a neoclassic nor a romantic, to tell me what has been your experience with Mother Nature? Choose to write about one of these four topics. As always, the required length is 25 blog lines or 200 words on the blog; a page to page and a half double-spaced typed if NOT posted on the blog.
1. I learned a lesson from this incident with nature
2. This "communion with nature" solaced me
3. This "communion with nature" exhilarated me
4. I have no such natural story. I prefer the indoors, and I'll tell you why
Need some brainstorming help??? Think about your experience with animals, maybe your pets. The animals around your house. Your vacations at the beach, camping in the mountains, or just hiking through the woods. Nothing is too insignificant to write about. Remember, Wordsworth wrote about viewing a field a daffodils (see link) how can still dance with the daffodils.
Good luck.
posted by JTF @ 10:15 AM
52 comments
52 Comments:
In my incident with nature solaced me from my distress. When I was a young child, around eight years old, my cousin, my brother, and I were playing in the woods. We decided to make a scary movie and we set everything up for it. Then we thought it would be a good idea to have a scene called the attack of the killer bees. We found a bees nest and started swatting at it. Before we knew it bees started flying everywhere and stinging us. From then on I thought bees were mean and stung people for no reason. I had a bee phobia. Then one day at a fair there was a bee house where you could touch and hold the bees. One bee flew right onto me and did not hurt me at all. I then realized it was not that the bees were mean, it is what anyone’s natural reaction would be to defend themselves. That bees or anything in nature is not out to hurt us they just react as any creature with instincts would. My fear of bees was lost from then on.
For the blog entry Nature-teacher, soother, healer I chose to do option two, this “communion with nature” exhilarated me. Every year I go to Colorado around January and February with my dad for a perfusion conference meeting. When we go the conference is up in the mountains and right on the ski slopes. Every year I look forward to this vacation and it is by far my favorite. We fly a plane there and it is spectacular to see all of the beautiful nature. Once we get there we have to drive all the way up the mountain this is often the time I get most excited because the snow is brewing and every mile we go up the snow gets about a half of a foot thicker. It allows me to realize how powerful yet beautiful Mother Nature can be. Last year, we arrived at the airport and we heard news of a massive avalanche that occurred on one of the roads leading up to the resort. The only way that we could get to the hotel was to take an alternate route around the mountain, which would tack on seven hours to the trip. We both knew it was not worth the seven-hour ride. Supposedly the avalanche could be cleaned up by that night so we took the risk of going the normal way. There was a blizzard on top of the mountain so it took even longer to make it up. About halfway up the mountain my father almost gave up on driving and almost decided to just sleep in the car and not risk it. We, however, persevered and made it to the avalanche site and to our surprise it was cleared. This moment showed me that even though Mother Nature can be very peaceful at times it can also be very nasty.
A very important lesson I learned from nature is that people need to be cared for in order to grow up properly just as plants and animals do. Animals and plants need many different things to survive from food, to water, to a certain area that they live in. Plants cannot survive without the sunlight because it provides them with their ability to make their food, and people, as I am sure we all know cannot survive without food either. All types of wildlife and most types of greenery cannot live without water and neither can people. People need to be raised and brought up in specific living conditions depending on who they are and what the need. Well, the same applies to all types of plants and animals. A plant that needs a lot of water must live in an environment where it rains a lot. An animal that cannot live in cold weather must live in an area where it is normally warm. All animals and plants are different just as all people are different. We all need to be given the proper nourishment and care that applies to who we are and what we require. Without these things, we could not hope to make it the harshness of today’s world.
A time when nature has exhilarated me was when I traveled to Arizona this past summer. We went to drop my sister off at ASU, but then we made a vacation out of it for the next week. Traveling from Tempe and Phoenix to Sedona was exciting. Although it was 115°, the beauty of the Grand Canyon State made up for the intense heat. We passed many cacti and palm trees, not to mention hundreds of mountains. We arrived in Sedona, and I was amazed. The jaw-dropping red rocks astonished me. Driving through Sedona was like being in another world. Everything was so majestic and peaceful. The next day, my parents and I went for a hike on Airport Trail in the heart of Sedona. This five-mile hike was the highlight of the vacation for me. We conquered the crimson rocks and stood amazed at the view before us. A beautiful bird’s-eye view of the city was ours. Our next stop on the vacation was Slide Rock State Park. Slide Rock is a natural swimming hole/rock slide. I thoroughly enjoyed being thrashed around by the natural rock slide. The swimming/diving hole was a blast. Jumping twenty feet from red rock to freeing water was exhilarating. Next we went to Meteor Crater, the largest crater in the world. Viewing this massive impression in the Earth blew me away! Our last stop on the vacation was the Grand Canyon. I was anticipating this moment for all of the vacation. I stepped up to the edge, and I was speechless. It was a living work of art. I couldn’t grasp the beauty of the natural landmark. Our lodge was only ¼ of a mile from the sight, so I viewed the Canyon as much as I could. Not just the Grand Canyon, but also the whole trip, was a communication with nature that truly exhilarated me.
This summer I took a trip to the Grand Canyon. Before I went there I didn’t think that I would enjoy it that much. I thought, “Well I’ll just go and have a look then leave.” But that wasn’t the case and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. When we drove up into the parking lot there was already a difference in the air. Everything was much calmer and still. When I walked up to see the view, I was in awe. I felt like I as on top of the world. I was so exhilarated by its vastness and serenity because I have never seen anything like it before. This feeling made me realize how beautiful and breathtaking nature is and that we should never take anything like this for granted. When I looked out over the cliff, I could see forever and it looked like it would never end. I saw a few birds soaring above in the blue sky and little animals scuttling down below. When I saw all this life going on around me, I thought how luck they are to be living in a place like this. As I looked down at the Colorado River and the bushes and wild flowers, I felt like I was one with nature. After this trip it made me appreciate the many wonders of nature like the Grand Canyon.
For the blog entry Nature-teacher, soother, healer I chose to do option four, I have no such natural story. I prefer the indoors, and I'll tell you why. I’m not a big fan of the outdoors at all. When I’m outside in the woods I hate the feeling of bugs and branches scratching me. I always get rashes or an annoying itch. It’s also very boring, and there is not much to do when you are outside. The outdoors make you sweaty and can also make you sick. I like the indoors because it is pretty much the total opposite of what I just said. It’s nice and cool when it’s hot outside, and it’s warm when it’s cold outside. There aren’t nearly as many bugs as there are outside, and It’s cleaner, so I won’t get sick either. When I’m indoors I can watch television indoors for entertainment, or play video games, if you are into that. This is why I prefer the indoors to the outdoors.
Nature is God's remedy, at least to me. God has created the most beautiful world for us to live in and breathe in. Nothing is better than a stroll on a fall day with the brisk wind hitting your face, and a sun that envelopes you. Nature can calm me after any situation or disaster in my life. After a rough hectic day at school when i would like to clear my head, I just go outdoors to walk around my
neighborhood. Watching the birds soar above you head in their magestic formations, little squirrels dart after each other, and the clouds slowly racing their way across the sky can really make me come back down to earth. I also recently discovered that I can infact climb trees, so I sometimes climb my large maple tree in my front yard to relax. I grab my ipod, speakers, and a bottle of vitamin water, and I can sit up in the tree to ponder and relax. My friends come up with me too and we can sit up there for hours just talking and enjoying each others company (as opposed to sitting in front of a tv for hours and not sharing any quality time together) It is my haven, my secret hidding spot, and friend. I have even named it Remy. You can call me a treehugger if you want, but I find it very therapeutic. I would not recommend it if you can not climb very well or don't have balance because then you will probably just end up with a sore back and a broken arm. A walk outside will do you just as much good. Nature is an amazing gift that people take for granted and abuse to the point of extinction. People should appreciates God's gift and enjoy the beauty of nature as i try to do.
This “Communion with Nature” Solaced Me.
Nature is described as “the natural world as it exists without civilization.” I have been touched by nature in many different ways on many different occasions. I have felt nature as a teacher, soother, and a healer. I feel the most prominent of the three is nature as a soother. One moment when I felt nature as a soother was a couple of months after my grandparents died. They both cherished nature’s beauty and healing power. This day I felt the soothing power of nature was when I went to the Indian River Inlet, where my grandmother and grandfather always fished. I was not fully over both their deaths, but when I can to the Inlet and took in the fresh air and the sound of the water, I felt comforted. That day in the Indian River Inlet soothed my mind, body, and soul and helped my release the pain I felt from my grandparent’s deaths.
In my “communion with nature”, nature exhilarated me. This summer my mom, dad, little brother and I took a trip to the Pocono’s for a few days. While we were there everything we did was outside and we were surrounded by nature. There was a lake right behind the house we rented and there was a canoe and two paddle boats that we could ride. We went out on the lake everyday sometimes more than once. We also went on a ten mile bike ride on the mountain. The ride wasn’t too bad but the things we saw were amazing! We got off our bikes and went adventuring into the woods and climbed huge rocks. We even stood on the edge of a huge wall made of rocks that was probably very old and looked down into the gushing waters of the river below us. There was also a big, beautiful waterfall that my brother and I played in. We also went horse back riding through the woods. My horse’s name was Bugsy. Horse back riding was a lot of fun and I didn’t want to get off my horse. The most amazing activity we did was go white water rafting. Since it was our first time we decided to go on the small rapids. The water was warm and clear and the sun was shining. The scenery is what really caught my attention though. I will never forget what I saw that day. I wish everyone in the whole world could see what I saw. I believe that if they did, the world would be a much more peaceful place. The river wound around the huge mountains covered in green trees that almost glowed against the blue sky. It really took my breath away. I couldn’t believe I was looking at it with my own eyes. It looked like something from the Amazon that I could only see on TV. We rode down waterfalls and got out of out boat to swim in the calm waters. We were on the raft for about eight hours and I can honestly say that was the best eight hours of my life. It’s really amazing how you don’t have to go to an exotic place to see the most beautiful nature in the world.
Nature is wonderful. It is a place where one can seek comfort and tranquility, enjoy time with friends, and believe it or not, learn something. Whenever I feel stressed or upset, I go for a walk in the woods. The fresh air and wildlife are invigorating; the natural melodies provided by the various species of birds are relaxing; they also remind us of the beauty that exists outside of our modern homes. It's disappointing that many people would rather watch television or go online when there is so much to be experienced outdoors. I think it would strongly benefit us to observe wildlife and learn from it. It is inspiring to me to see how animals are able to make such good use out of what they have and not insist on anything else as humans often do. The natural world is genuinely beautiful, and I think that we too frequently take it for granted.
I chose to do option number one, about a learned lesson from an incident with nature. One summer, I was swimming in the ocean with my cousin on a family vacation. We had just been warned about small riptides on the section of the beach where we were swimming. We chose to ignore the warnings and swam anyway. We wanted to get out, so we started swimming towards shore. The more we swam, the more tired we became but we weren't moving. Once we stopping swimming to catch our breath, we started drifting out to sea. A man nearby us, who was also stuck in the riptide, told us to swim parallel to the shore. We eventually made it to shore, but I learned never to underestimate nature. The ocean is very powerful, and the more you respect it, the better off you'll be.
My communion with nature that exhilarates me started before I moved to Delaware, it was when I lived in Maine. I learned to ski when I was very young, and being up on the mountains and just smelling the fresh mountain air is what exhilarates me. I love looking at the trees and the fresh falling snow as you take the ski lift up first thing in the morning. Also the feeling of the cool wind on my face as you race down the slopes. I love nature the most when there is snow on the ground. The beauty of the trees with the white snowflakes coating the green branches is one of my favorite sights in the world. Another thing is animal tracks. I used to love it when I would see deer or moose tracks in the snow when walking into the lodge. For this reason, the beauty of falling snow and how beautiful it looks freshly landing on the slopes, is why nature exhilarates me.
I am not really and outdoors person, however I love the beach. Depending on the circumstances, the beach can either exhilarate me or comfort me. I have experienced both times. This past Labor Day weekend I had an invigorating time at the beach. My parents, brother, two of my closest friends, and I went to Ocean City. After walking on the boardwalk for awhile, we decided to go to the beach. I had such an amazing time. We caught dead jelly fish and found several sea shells. Running in the ocean and fighting the waves was so exciting. It definitely was a workout. The ocean water is disgustingly filthy. Yet we did not care how dirty we were because we were in one with nature. As the dirty water washed across our bodies we just laughed and enjoyed ourselves. We were exhausted on the way home that night. Now as I am reminiscing about our trip, I remember feeling so one with nature. Another vacation we went on was to myrtle beach. We had a hotel right next to the ocean. One night I decided to take a walk on the empty beach alone.. It was around duck and the sun was setting. The scenery was breathtaking. I had never felt so at peace with the world. I just watched God’s creation at work. I just stood the feeling the wind on my face. Looking out at the water I felt so small compared to the vast body of water in front of me. Yet, at the same time I felt connected to the world, as if I could stay there forever. As I stood there enjoying the beauty of nature, I began to reflect. I thought about, my life, my future and all my loved ones. That experience really made me appreciate all of the blessings God has given me. Anytime I am by a large body of water I experience and sense of peace I never feel any where else.
One thing I have learned from nature is that it is stronger than anything else. Nature may seem harmless, or not threatening, but it certainly is dangerous. My close encounter with the strength of nature was recently at the beach with my friend Maureen. We went to Bethany Beach in early August for a one week vacation. Maureen and were having a great time playing beach volleyball, swimming in the pool, and spending time at the boardwalk. One of our favorite activities was swimming in the ocean. Maureen is a lifeguard and a member of the swim team at her pool. I have been swimming in this ocean almost my entire life. Needless to say, we were not very concerned with rip currents because we had experienced them before. The day began great, as a beautiful day with sunshine everywhere. The water was warm and everyone was on the beach. Maureen and I decided to swim, for a short time, just before lunch. As we went into the water, we realized the ocean was extremely rough that day, but we were not concerned. After swimming and diving into the waves, we realized they were coming in quickly right behind each other, exhausting us. We dove through one wave, hoping there would be a break so we could get out of the ocean to rest. A huge wave then came immediately after it, trapping us so we had to dive through the wave. We struggled against the tug of the current so we could reach the wave before it would crest and crash upon us. As we approached a wave, it began to crest, leaving us no choice, but to dive through. Unfortunately, the wave crashed on top of us, tossing us around. Maureen was able to get to the surface fine, but I was stuck in a brawl between the water and the sand. Soon, I was running out of breath and became extremely scared. I did not know if I would make it to the surface. Finally, the water calmed, and I made it to the surface. This incident strengthened my respect towards nature. I realized how life could be gone in a blink of an eye and you should not take life for granted, even if you have cheated death once before.
My communion with nature exhilarated me. When I was about 10 years old, I started going to a camp called the Ashland Nature Center summer camp. In this camp, we did a variety of different activities that all had to do with being outside and interacting with mother nature. Some of these activities included kyakying, hiking, making bird feeders and camping. Throughout all of these activities, I was becoming more connected with nature. I was younger then, so i didn't realize it. But now as I get older, I realize that I am very in-tune with nature. When ever I am feeling stressed or upset, I always go for walks outside. I also like recycling and doing things that are good for the environment. I believe that if I had never went through my nature camp, I wouldn't be the same person I am today.
It was around 2:00 in the evening when my dad and I set out on the 1 mile trek to the box-shaped deer stand. It was the last day of the of the Thanksgiving hunting trip and I had yet to have an opportunity at a whitetail buck. When we finally got situated in the spacious stand, deer were already appearing to feed in the two, four hundred yard corn fields. To calm my tingling nerves, I used the beautiful scenery of our 200 acre, eastern shore of Virginia farm for comfort. Suddenly there was a crash in the clear-cut, a splash in the bordering creek, and there was my VA "trophy". His grand entrance was so dominant that it startled a few does out of the 50 other deer on the field. The 130 pound spike buck walked broadsidedly 100 yards away; I couldn't beleive how perfect this setup was unfolding. After impatiently watching my dad watch the deer, he finally gave me the "green light" to go for my first buck. So I quietly snuck over to the opposite side of the stand and braced my Thompson Center Encore, .243 rifle on the stand's wall. Shaking uncontrollably, I glassed the field with my 44 mag Simmons and found my mark; in the middle of its skinny neck. After the gun went off, all I saw were many tails fleeing from the dim field, and a deer laying motionless in the middle! There was such a rush of joy and enthusiasum to the point were I couldn't think clearly anymore. It seemed to take a decade to get down to my animal, but when I did, it was such a thrill to see my first buck taken with one clean neck shot. Hugs, handshakes, and phone calls were exchanged after me and my dad, who was probably more shaken than I was, had drug the young buck back to camp to be butchered. The 22nd of November was such a magical day, not only because of my deer, but my uncle had also shot a massive 10 pointer that same evening. Eventhough me, my dad, and my uncle Jimmy didn't get finished butchering the whitetails until 11:00, it was a perfect situation where I was exhilerated by nature.
Right before I came to this country, my family went on a brief vacation to Je-ju island when I was 14. Je-ju is and island located off the south of the Korean Peninsular. We flew down in December to visit one of my father's friends who then was working with the government. We stayed in a hotel where we had a viewing the beach and the sea. Je-ju is a popular vacation place and is warm like Florida. However, we were there in the winter and there was a lot of snow in the mountain.
My father's friend took us up to the mountain. When we got there, it was very cold and the snow was falling. We were planning to climb up the mountain that rises in the center of island and is called Han-la Mountain. We drove up a point where people can start climbing and began to climbs the snow was falling. The higher we climbed, the harder the wind blew, the deeper the snow got. We had brought our dog with us because we couldn't leave her in the hotel. As the slope got steeper, my mother picked the dog up and tucked her inside the coat. We kept walking as the storm got worse. We undecided about going any further. The people coming down kept telling us that we would better go down. But my father's friend who lived on the island over 10 years, and was used to the weather, convinced us to keep going saying that it wouldn't take long to reach a place to rest and eat some food. But, it seemed that it took a long time.
Finally, we reached the mountain hut that was so crowded, we couldn't stay insides. So we found shelter in a storage tent and ate some hot food we brought in the hut and drank hot tea we brought with us. After we warmed up, we prepared to do down as we had planned. My sister and I rode a sled down to the bottom while the others walked after us. We slid down the path we had walked up; the packed snow it slippery. So, we started going fast. The path was ao curvy and uneven and there were so many trees along the way, it felt dangerous. But it was exciting so I didn't want to stop.
If we had stopped halfway up, I wouldn't have had the experience of sliding down to mountain and I wouldn't have got to enjoy the hot food we ate in the mountain shelter. I was so hungry and cold; it tasted like the best food I have ever eaten. Besides, I wouldn't have felt so good about overcoming the headship of the nature.
I have no such naturalstory but it's not because I prefer the indoors because the truth is I prefer to be outside. I usually don't like to be stuck inside. I like to go outside and play football, baseball, or ride my dirtbike or four wheeler. I have no natural story because when I'm camping or riding [my four wheeler or dirtbike] in the woods I don't stop and take the time to think about natures beauty or if it has ever exhilerated me, solaced me or taught me a lesson. I don't like being indoors for long periods of time much because when I have a lot of energy I have no way to exhaust myself of my energy but when I'm outside I can play football or baseball with a bunch o fkids from my neighborhood untill I have no energy left. Thats why I'm not an inside person yet I have not had an conexion with nature.
My communion with nature that exhilerated me started since i was born. As long as i can remember i have done activities that would not be possible without the magnificent power of nature present. Things such as surfing and rock climbing would not be the smae without the water or the rock cliffs. Although both of these activities definatley are exciting, the one that really gets me going is skiing. Being up on a tall tall mountain and looking around at all that is below gives one a sense of power that is not actually there. Because the mountain is magestic in every way, one can not help to feel the same way when standing on top of it looking down the dangerous slope that without the cold, smooth snow, would most likely mean certain death to go speeding down. Nature povides us with the greatactivity that lets us speed down hills and over ledges and cliffs on what some people would say are merely sticks. Plus if one is a daredevil like myself, there is the possibility of going off a ramp and being thrown into the air, down the mountain. This natural sport creates such a beautiful atmosphere that one can not help to see and feel the beauty of the nature all around them. This is how my communion with nature exhilerates me.
I chose to write about "communion wuth nature" solaced me. I belive that nature connects with people in different ways. Sometime nature can get people excited or awake, I think that nature soothes me the most. My favorite thing to listen to is the rain. It relaxes me and drounds out all the other sounds in my house. I also like hearing the wind through the trees. It sounds like peace coming from God, as if it's a message that he is there with me and always watching over me. I could fall asleep to these sounds because they relax me so much. When people say they are afraid of thunder storm I can't seem to understand why because I think thunder storms are interesting. The way the sky lights up, and the loud booming thunder that shakes my house it makes me want to just sit, relax and listen to nature. I can think clearly about things on my mind like school and sports. It gives me a chance to get it together and reevaluate. Because nature is so soothing I find it is easy for me to pray while listening to the rain. I can think about the people I have lost and those I miss. Alot of people can relate to what I think and what I do when natue brings soothing rain, wind and thunder storms.
Nature is one of the many mysteries of life. It inspires, heals, makes you think, speaks without words, and is one of the most beautiful things in life. I believe that everyone is touched by nature at least once in their life. One of my memorable moments with nature took place during the summer of 1999, in Wicklow, Ireland. That summer my family decided to take a vacation to Ireland for five weeks. Now I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the area of Wicklow, so I’ll give you a quick summary: a mountainous, rural area where sheep outnumber people. Not exactly the ideal vacation spot for a seven year old, or so I thought.
The first week I spent complaining to my mother about how bored I was with this not-so exciting land. But during the second week when I decided to venture out with my mother on one her many walks around Wicklow, I discovered the true beauty of nature. Never in my life had I seen such natural beauty. So much of Delaware has become industrialized that there are few places where you can walk around freely and enjoy the wonders of nature. So to have miles and miles of untouched land and to be surrounded by people who take in the environment as it is was moving. Every now and then when I’m feeling stressed, I try to sit back and remember the many walks I took and Ireland, the peaceful atmosphere, which always soothes me.
Let me start off by saying, I love nature. I love the scenery it creates especially in fall and winter. Nature always has a way of calming me down. So I decided to write about a "communion with nature" that solaced me. There are many occasions where I find myself wandering in the woods to calm myself down. I actually just went for a walk after I heard news that scared me. My sister who is away at college became very sick and was sent to the hospital. I was very upset and worried though you probably couldn’t tell. My sister is my best friend and I wished that I could be there with her helping her like she has helped me so many times before. I took a walk down into the woods where I sat down and prayed to God to help my sister and make sure she is ok. After I finished praying I looked out at how beautiful the forest looked. Just sitting in the silence helped calmed me. As I looked around I saw two deer. One looked to be the mother eating food with her baby. The baby was healthy and joyful prancing around in the field while the mother just ate. Of course they had not noticed me because I was higher up overlooking them from behind the trees. It distracted me from my troubles and caused me to smile, the deer was adorable. Then I felt like this was a sign from God that everything would be ok.
I chose to write about option number one,”I learned a lesson from this incident with nature.” My incident took place at the beach on my vacation during the summer when I was younger, maybe around nine years old. I remember that I was a little nervous about going out far in the ocean to swim. After being persuaded by my family to go out, I listened to them and swam out further than I usually would. At first the waves were relatively calm, which made me think I had overcome my fear. After awhile I became somewhat comfortable being further out in the ocean and began to enjoy it. I then saw a huge mass of water forming way ahead and I began to panic. I started running back to shore, which was probably one of the dumbest moves I could have made at that time, because right when the wave came I was in the spot where it was going to crash. It nailed me and tossed me around, sending me up the shore. I got up and walked right over to where I was sitting and sat down. My fear of swimming further out in the ocean had grown on me even more after this incident. It taught me how powerful nautre can be. This is how I learned a lesson from nature.
For the blog "Nature--Teacher, Soother, Healer", I chose to write about option four. I have no such natural story. I prefer the indoors, and i'll tell you why. I dislike the outdoors because I think they are boring. There is so much more to do inside like watching television and using the computer. Another reason I don't like the outdoors is because I hate feeling dirty and sweating. Outside there are so many bugs and spiders. I feel so much cleaner when I am indoors because there aren't as many bugs. I also don't like the outdoors because of the weather. When I'm outside it is often too hot or too cold. It feels better inside because you can control the temperature yourself. Even though I like the indoors better, I still think nature is beautiful, but I'd much rather just look at it from inside.
For this journal I choose the second option "This "communion with nature" solaced me. I am a person who when thought is needed I go somewhere by myself. On many occasions I just go down to the park, sit around in the grass by a tree and just think things out. For me nature is just so calm and relaxing that when i'm in nature I can't help but be relaxed too. On one specific occasion I remember my family and I were going hiking. Before we had gotten there my parents and my brother had been going at it. Once we got to the trail and started walking through it everyone started to settle. It was like just the atmosphere of the calmness of nature had settled the fight and they were just enjoying themselves finally. After that trip I realized the effect nature could have on a person's attitude or mood.
Nature exhilerates me most when I find myself in te woods. You see, I recently got into mountain biking with my dad. When I first started biking I just thought that it was a chance to get out of the house and to get some kind of exercise in me. However, the more I went, the more I began to look at nature, in a way that I hadn't looked at it before. I found myself stopping here and there just to look at the scene. What I found most exhilerating was when the sun was setting and the rays from the sun would bounce off the leaves and branches and you just look like you are looking into a painting, like it really can't be there. But the reality is it is right in fron of me, and I am really standin there, having the oppertunity to see that. To me, this is one example of nature that exhilerates me. (I also like the woods when I ski through them up in PA with my granfather.)
The third option, "The communion with nature exhilarated me",interested me the most because it reminds me of the time i saw Niagra Falls. When i was about 10 my family took me up to Canada to see Niagra Falls and we were gonna stay overnight at a hotel near the falls. When we got there, we parked the car and for 4 or 5 hours my family and i watched the water rushing down into the lake. Also we had a chance to go inside the falls via tunnel. While down there, it was a weird feeling being under so much water and rock that it exhilarated me and made me want to look around at more and more parts of the falls. Next we went up to a museum and looked at all of the facts and stories of how people had jumped off of Niagra falls and survived...most of the time. Lastly we toured the city and saw all of the old time objects and what connection they had with the falls.
Drew Mink Red
Sorry I'm late on this one, it wouldnt let me post it. I am a big fan of nature, and i love being outdoors, but nature has also solaced me a few times. When i was about 7 years old, me and my daycare went hiking at fair hill state park, in Maryland. If you don't know, this is a very large park and also very nice to hike. It was around november when it was beginning to get cold. We were in the woods, walking on a long rock bridge with no ralings. Me being an impulsive child, looked down at the creek, and seeing many leaves floating, I thought it was solid ground. I stepped down onto it and plummeted into the water. I immediately got out but was very cold and wet. I realized that this was by my own fault though and soon, I was dry and happy again. This made me realize that most the pain nature inflicts on us is only temporary.
KE Blue Said...
Two years ago, my family and I traveled, for the first time, out west. Skiing was our motive, and Colorado our destination. When in the car traveling to the lodge in which we would reside, we experienced the beauty of nature. Majestic mountains and rolling countryside came into our view. The next day, our first day skiing, was an adventure. I took the ski lift to the peak of the mountain, 13,000 feet above sea level. As I began my way down the slope, I found that many moguls were completely hidden by the 24 inches of fresh powder that had blanketed all of Breckenridge. I felt as if I was sailing through the deep powder. The amazing idea was that as soon as the snow had arrived, it had disappeared. On the day of my family’s departure, the snow had completely melted! One of the most beautiful sights was when it was growing closer to dusk and I was skiing down one of the taller mountains. I felt as if I could see everything, from the countryside to the mountains, to the towns. It was a gorgeous scene which I will always remember. I felt exhilarated by the beauty of nature of this experience.
For Nature--Teacher, Soother, Healer I chose the first topic, what I learned this from an incident with nature. I learned that you must choose what you do according to what happens in nature, and that you must be prepared for any weather. I learned this when I went camping. Right when we got to the camp sight, it started to pour, so we didn’t have a good time putting up tents in the rain, the worst part of all was that I didn’t think to bring a rain coat because I rarely pay attention to the weather forecast. So I ended up helping put the tents up in a cotton (I am pretty sure it is cotton) hoodie, which is not comfortable when it is soaked through. The only good thing was that the rain started to stop, even though we were done setting up the tents by that time. That is what I learned from nature.
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Nature: noun- ‘the material world, esp. surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities’. The definition of nature comes so short of what it really means to the human race who appreciates everything nature gives us. I, for example, would die without the chance to go outside on hikes or ride my bike down the Judge Morris estate. It gives me an opportunity to let everything go and just sit and watch things happen on their own. What would the world be like if people never got to see the sunrise at the Florida Keys? Do you think people would be as happy without such a beautiful view? I don’t think so. Probably the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen that made me appreciate how great nature and this earth is was when my family went down to the keys and got to go to the 0 mile mark on 95 around 730 last august. The sun was so overwhelming for at least 15 minutes, and during this time the only thing you could here was cameras clicking and people WOW-ing. It truly was amazing.
Nature is an intricate design of God’s imagination. It has its own purpose to serve our world and to serve ourselves. With the symbolism of nature it tends to interpret our own feelings. The communion of nature solaces me because just the simplicity of some things enters into my mind bringing me into a state of comfort. For example just the summer of ’08, I visit the beach house with me and my friends. The beach house was on top of a large hill looking down at the slumbering ocean. Within a few minutes I could be down where the sand goes through my toes. What makes this trip extra special is to spend a weekend with my friends. The beach is a great way where all the forces of nature work together to produce something beautiful. When I wake up in the morning, the sun rises on the ocean. I pulled up the shades and looked out the window, and I saw a wonderful scene that makes me calm. The orange-yellow sun, glittering on the deep blue coral waters while you hear the rustling of the wind and water without any sight of humans and their nature brings me a random happiness of indescribability. It was a good sight to start a pleasant day. If the beginning of the day brings me a state of tranquility so does the end of the day. As my friends and I spend the whole day at the beach, we agreed to watch the sunset on the beach. We just waited on the seashore as the water rises, the people leave, the seagulls squawk less, and the conversations of people start to dwindle. As each minute passes by entering into night, the size of the sun decreases, the color of the sun turns more orange-rose while it emulates the ocean, and the water tries to silence. These are the few experiences where all you hear is silence and serenity. All your anxieties and worries go away as you watch the descent of the sun. This experience has brought me a state of solace and consolation. Once the sun disappears, life progresses once again. It is satisfying to just get out of the man-made world once and a while and enter a world made by the peace of God.
I do not really have one specific memorable time that nature has taught me a certain lesson. Sure, I enjoy nature at times and I enjoy being outside, but I am not when of those nature-lovers. I also like being indoors too. One part of nature I really love though is the beach. During the summer the beach is like my home. There are a few times when its too hot and too crowded on the beach, but those days when the temperature is just right, the beach is the best place in the world. Looking out at the ocean makes me feel so small and insignficant compared to the never ending water in front of me. The ocean also scares me though. You never know whats out there, or how far out you can really go. I remember once a couple years ago I got stuck in a current and my sister's boyfriend how to swim out and help me back to shore. If I let this scare me though I would be missing out on all the other great times I have had in the ocean after this incident.
Every spring the outdoors exhilerates me because i know baseball season is on its way. Spring time is the best time of the year with it's nice temperature. it's like a wake up call away from the winter months. You no longer have to stay inside because of the cold or the snow. Me and my dad toss around the ball in the side yard on nice days which is enjoyable for both of us. Baseball is the only sport i play so when its nice im outside every second i can. Just being out side in the nice weather makes one feel good, wheather they are playing baseball or not. When im out playing ball in the great weather it just makes me feel happy. As if im where i should be. Therefore, nature in the spring time can completely change my outlook and my attitude twards things.
In an incident with nature, I learned a very valuable lesson. When I was young around six or seven years old, I was playing whiffle ball with my uncles and my dad. It was a normal trip to my grandparents house, where my uncles lived, until the game was over. After the long game, I laid in the grass thinking nothing was going to happen. Soon, my face was covered in ants. As my family tried to swat them off of me, I thought to myself, "I just laid down in the grass, how did this happen." After the killer ants were gone, I walked inside the house with one half of my face red with blotches. Even though I received a lot of attention that night, I definitely don't want that to happen again. Therefore, after my long shower, I made a pact to myself that I would never lay down in the grass again. I can say that I withheld my pact. I probably should have written I like indoors better, but this story was to hard to pass up. Man, did that sting.
For this blog i have chosen to do, "cummunion with nature exhilerated me." Well i am big into photography, and if i go on a walk or im with my friends, ill take my camera with me. Usually we walk through many different places when we go to a friends house or skating to skate spots, things of that nature. So i usually go around snapping photos left and right of many different things such as, animals, trees, street signs, just things that look intricate. And i take those ideas, and i use them, make them black and white and do all sorts of things with them. I mean i have alot of respect for nature and its ways, it makes you calm and makes you realize to be greatful for the things around you because they wouldnt be here with out nature.
I like nature a lot more than staying indoors. But there are a couple times where nature has challenged me to face my fears and take a chance. One such time happened last summer when I was vacationing in Poland and my relatives and I decided to cross the border and explore Slovakia. We went to Park called Slovakian Paradise that was basically all about hiking in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains. The Paradise for me at one point turned very dangerous. There weren't many hiking trails in the park and we just went on the main one. The trail ran literally alongside a very rocky and pine covered cliff-type giant hill. You couldn't see much of the mountain's structure because of the trees and most of the trail was carved into the mountain's side. But some of the trail wasn't because it was just rock, so the park people inserted metal steps and a chain rail to hold on to. At some points it was like walking alongside of a cliff wall with a river ten feet below. At that particular part of the trail I got quite a scare. My group each took turns one at a time going on the metal steps from one side of a cliff wall to another. When it was my turn, it started off easy, but the room for me to stand on began to shrink. The metal steps had been inserted too deep into the wall of rock, so there was one point where I was standing with half of my foot hanging off the side of the step because there wasn't enough room. The only thing below me was a shallow river ten feet below. I froze at that point and was petrified, but I had to go on because my family was on the other side. I don't think I have ever been in that much danger my entire life. I don't think I want to go back there anymore. Since that incident, I have learned to respect nature a lot more.
I am more of an indoors kind of person. Don't get me wrong, I love playing sports outside as much as the next guy and stuff like that, but I dont take hikes for fun. Indoors, you are in control; what you hear, what you see, what tempurature it is, and generally what you do. Inside you can do any of your favorite activities when and where you want to. You can have fun outdoors too, and I do go outside frequently, but then you have to wear a coat and things like that. Also, you can spend and entire day inside, surfing the internet, getting something to eat. The best thing about being indoors is honestly just being able to be lazy and hang out. So this is why I like to be inside, outdoors is great, but indoors can be just as fun.
I went for I hike in a park with my cousin jeremy when I was young and it was the first real time I had been in the woods for a long time. We hiked form a while then we stop for a while to eat our sandwhiches. That experience was the the most I had ever felt connected with nature it was a huge realization that nature is a refuge form so many things and that it has been here on earth through so much and yet its functions stay the same. After our hike I asked my cousin if we could go on more of them because I enjoyed it so much my cousin, being a budhist and a nature lover happily obliged and took me on more hikes to different places and I was able to see so many beautiful places that summer that it changed my view of the earth and nature completely. That first experience with nature exelirated me in such a positive way that I went from a person that didn’t really appreciate mother nature to a person that believes that we as mankind are charged with the protection of our planet and should do much more to defend it.
For this blog entry, i will choose to do option number 3, this "communitcation with nature" exhilarated me. I used to be in boy scouts a long time ago, and every year we used to go on a camping trip in the middle of january. It was a competition called the ... and it was with many different troops around the tri-state area. The first year that i participated in this, the temperature was in the single digits and it was snowing. There were about 6 to 8 kids on each team. What we had to do, was pull around a sled and go from station to station performing different tasks. There were ten different things you had to do, for example, all of us would have to make a rope and climb it a certain distance (which was not easy in 5 degree weather) in a certain amount of time. The tasks were not exactly close together either, and were sometimes a mile or more away. In the end, our team won the competition, and we were only 2 points away from a perfect score. The competition wasn't the only harsh part of the trip. We had to chop wood for the fireplace, and wake up in the middle of the night, stay up for an hour to keep the fire going, and eventually switch off your shift to somebody else. It was a hard experience, but ended up being fun and worth every second of it. I learned a lot of lessons about the outdoors that i will never forget.
the last one was mine i accidently put anonymous
I learned a lesson from nature when I was very young. I used to be terrified of animals in the forest until nature taught me an important lesson. While I was on my annual trip to Wisonsin in the summer of 2001, I was lost in the woods while I was on a nature walk with my parents in the middle of the night. I was so terrified that I could not even speak. I wanted to yell for my parents so that they would know where I was, but I did not want the animals to hear me and attack me (I used to watch "When Animals Attack" a lot as a kid). Then, as I was standing on the trail trying to make as little noise as possible, what looked like a wolf appeared in the distance. Naturally, I was petrified, but I was slowly starting to get less afraid as the creature just sat there. The creature then looked up and howled before running away. Soon after it had left, my parents found me and said that they got scared when they heard the sound and rushed to where they had heard it. This incident proved that the animals of nature do not want to hurt people. Of course, they do not intend to help us either, like the creature helped me. Still this proved to be a good starting point to help me overcome my fear of creatures in the woods.
A lesson I learned from nature is watch out or things are not always as they seem. One day my brother and I were talking through the woods behind my grandmothers house, a usual thing for us during the summer. We crossed the creek and headed into some unexplored part of the woods. As we were walking we saw a fallen tree and decided to take a rest on it. It seemed perfectly normal and safe, but we were wrong. The hallow part of the tree was filled with snakes. It must have been their den because there was quite a few. I would guess they were brown snakeswhich happen to be the most poisonis in the area, and there was at least a dozen. The snakes were startled as were we. We immeaditly got up and ran as fast as we could stright home and told my grandparents what had happened. This tought me that things are not always what they seem and that you have to be careful.I can assure you, I have not sat on any fallen trees since that day.
Your Fears
My favorite horror movie is Halloween. It’s a 1978 American independent horror film set in the fictional midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween. The original draft of the screenplay was titled The Babysitter Murders. John Carpenter directed the film, which stars Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and Nick Castle as Michael Myers (listed in the credits as "The Shape"). The film centers on Myers' escape from a psychiatric hospital, his murdering of teenagers, and Dr. Loomis's attempts to track and stop him. Halloween is widely regarded as a classic among horror films, and as one of the most influential horror films of its era. I really enjoyed this movie because it was one of the first scary movies I saw when I was younger and it really scared me. This movie is good because it shows that even though most horror movies have monsters or ghosts this is just some ordinary kid who becomes a killer as a child.
I posed the wrong one
Nature- Teacher, Soother, Healer
I remember one of the first lessons I learned about nature when I was at the beach at about age 11. It was quite scary if I were to explain in detail. Well it was started when I got a brand new bogie board right before my family and I went to the beach one Saturday in the summer. The sun was shinning bright and I could not wait until I could go into the ocean. When we arrived to the beach we unpacked in a nice little spot near the lifeguard stand. As soon as I put my shirt and sandals down I sprinted to the ocean because the sand was getting pretty hot on my feet from the walk from the car. As the waves were splashing against my feet I stood there for a second in excitement then I dove into the water with my boogie board and paddled out a bit to ride some waves. Then I saw a big wave coming I paddled as long and fast as I could until I thought I could ride the wave in. When the wave came up right behind I caught it perfect and everything was going great and then I felt the board slipping forward. As the wave was about to break I nosedived under the water and thought I was going to come right back up but I did not. Beneath the water the currents were tossing me all around and my air was getting short. At last I reached the surface and I was thankful for air again. This story really comes to me when I think about the power of nature.
A communion with nature that I had with nature that really exhilarated me was when I was twelve years old and went hiking with my Girl Scout troop. We went hiking at white clay creek for a fun trip. It wasn’t very intense since it was white clay creek but it really made me appreciate nature. I think being outside with nature gives you a good reality of what the world is. It shows us our place in the world and all of nature is beautiful. If you really pay attention when you’re outside you realize how glorious everything is. How perfect and delicate plants, animals and every species truly are. I have never been a big on littering and I didn’t get what the big deal was if you dropped a gum wrapper on the ground if you didn’t have any place to put it. But after my experience with nature I realized that all those little pieces of water added up and how damaging that is to our world. Nature is a gift and we should cherish and take care of it. Nature is beautiful and amazing if you think how intricate the food chain, or how every flower and animal have their own function. Due to my hike with my troop I now don’t ever liter and always try my best I can to preserve paper and recycle.
My incident with nature occured when I was very young and still very naive. I remember when I went through the stage where i was curious about everything. If i saw something interesting I had to go over to it and touch it to see what exactly it was. I specifically remember one afternoon when my family went hiking at a park near our house my curious stage ended quickly. There was a bush that made a buzzing sound and which grew louder everytime you walked past it. So, being young a fearless I wanted to see what caused the sound. When I went over to the bush I walked into a wasps nest, which obviously got me stund several time. I remember crying to my mom asking her why the bush hurt me not realizing that it was the wasps that stung me. After that I was much more cautious when learned what new things were.
For the blog entry Nature-teacher, soother, healer I chose to write about the beach. I'm an outdoor person and I personally love nature. I am always outside and I enjoy it alot. In the summertime I spend most of my time at the beach. For me the beach is a place where I can go to help me forget about all of my problems and just simply relax for awhile. At the beach during the day I like to lay in the sand, close my eyes, and listen to music. To me that is one of the most relazing things you can do. I love it so much because I love being in the sun, watching the ocean, and also looking at all the different people on the beach who love it just as much as I do. Although I really enjoy laying on the beach during the day, my most favorite thing of all is sitting on the beach at night. Staring at the sky, watching the stars, and the moon is one of the prettiest things in the world to look at. And even better, while you're looking at the sky, you get to hear the best sound ever, the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand. Nature amuses me a whole lot, but by far my favorite place in nature is the beach.
My incident with nature was one year during the summer. I was outside sort of later in the afternoon when my encounter happened. I was laying in my yard and the sun was about to set. It was only me outside and i was having a very bad day. all of a sudden though, when the sun was going down, watching it made me feel so much better. I felt sort of comforted as i watched it setting. When i went inside i was so relieved and so happy. Since then, every summer, i go out there when i am having a bad day and watch the sunset. it is so soothing to me and i am always cheered up after seeing it. This is not the case in other weather conditions though. I don't know what it is but i guess the warm temperature of summer air, and the wind blowing makes watching it go down so much better. if you ever feel low or sad, go outside and watch the sunset. i guarantee you will feel great afterwards.
I have a lot of memorable experiences from nature. One of my favorites is from when I was very young. I was really close at that time with two of my older cousins, Daniel and Casey. They were like two older brothers to me. I would always be at their house. When we were there, we would always find ourselves some adventures or trouble to get into. Their house is in a huge yard, with woods and a lake behind their house. We would bundle up in our warmest clothes and set out into the woods. The oldest, Daniel, who was kind of like our "leader," would tell us we would have to run away from animals, or indians were chasing us, or crazy stories like that. We had so much fun creating our own little games. Many times, we would stand on opposite sides of a creek that was in the woods and play some sort of game that involved throwing things at each other. Violent, I know. We even built a climbing bridge across the creek, made out of leaves, tree branches, and sticks, so that we could have even more fun crossing the creek. I remember that I was always too scared, but eventually they would persuade me. Many of my favorite childhood memories are of these adventures my cousins and I would have in the woods.
in this blog response, i would have to choose the first option. an incident where ive learned from nature. as an 8 year old, scary movies and men with mask are quite scary. i was 8 my brother was 10 and my cousin was also 10. we all came over for a sleepover, and my dad wanted us to get scared. he rented nightmare on elm street about freddy kreuger and told us we wouldnt be able to sleep that night. we took him up on the bet, and thought we were big tough guys. my dad said, ill have you guys sleep outside in a tent, in the backyard, you can have a campout. we agreed and he said if you dont make it through the night and are too scared after watching the movie to sleepoutside all night, you have to do extra chores tommorw and clean the toilets and such. if we were to get through it, each recieved 20 dolalrs. we wanted the money so we watched the movie. the movie freaked us all out and we still wanted to make it through. after the movie we went outside to camp, brought our gameboys and began the challenge. throughout the night owls, dogs barking, crunching leaves, the darkness, the uncomfortable ness of camping itself, the cold, everything about the outside becaem so vivid and scary, we had to rush into the house. my dad woke up and laughed saying "i knew it" we learned our lesson quickly, never be too brave, and be realistic. since then i have never had the desire to camp , and plan on avoiding it as much as possible.
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