I Am A Rock

I remember being a child and how the days seemed to always creep by. Slowly, ever so slowly, they would pass and by the time summer was over, I couldn't wait to go back to school. I had felt like had I had traveled the world over the summer, that I had explored every crevice of my hometown that I could find. I remember waking up and eating a quick bowl of cereal before I would give up the day to the outdoors. It is funny how some things never leave your memory. I will admit, I was a careful child, and yet I always managed to come home with a newly developed bruise or deep green grass stain.

And because of all of these childhood memories, there are things in nature that will always be linked to those carefree, wild-at-heart days. The smell of freshly mowed grass will always put the image of my father behind a lawn mower into my head. The smell of chlorine will forever be linked to my hometown pool and the many adventures I had there. Seeing a patch of rocks piled on the road will always remind me of the time I fell on my bike and scraped the entire side of my leg (I was horrified and thought fir sure I was going to die or at least need stitches - neither of which happened).

Granted, I never grew up on a farm out out in the country. I've lived in a town or city my whole life and the one time I went hunting was a horrific experience. Therefore, I can say my experiences in true nature are somewhat limited to camping trips and childhood explorations. I do not think, however, that this hinders my experience. In fact, all I have to do is step outside my door to feel the wind on my cheek and the sunshine hit my skin to know nature. All I have to do is slip off my man-made materiel shoes and step my feet onto the prickly grass to know how beautiful it is.

Winter is an amazing thing. It comes slowly and goes quickly, leaving behind it a mess of dirt, dead grass, and floods. Yet it is one of the most amazing experiences, one that I would not trade for 365 days of straight, 70 degree weather. Oh, how I would miss watching the snow fall to the ground, seeing the flakes as they gather on my glove, each one of them their own individual shape and size. I would long for the smell of freshly brewed coffee as it wafted through the house while the weather channel blared in the background, bringing with it news of the up and coming snow storm.

One of my favorite parts of winter, however, is watching it leave. Winter months always seem to creep by ever so slowly. Cold days requiring hats, jackets, boots, and gloves seem to last forever. Yet, one day I wake up, look around, and all has changed. Suddenly the sun is not so far away and instead of feeling distant rays, there is a stunning warmth. On these days, you can sit outside an watch the snow as it melts and forms a stream all of its own. These times are so glorious, as I sit outside, enjoying the longer days, I watch the rebirth of the world around me. The grass changes from a dead, brown color to a brilliant green, trees bud into life, red robins appear with fat bellies, reminding me that spring is blossoming. And I get to watch it all happen!

As an adult, I don't think it's as easy to view the outside world with the childlike innocence I once had. Age and education have taught me things about nature that I would not have thought comprehending as a child. And yet, even if the innocence is gone, the appreciation will last forever. I may know how or why something happens, but I will never be able to understand the full gloriousness of it. All I can do is sit and watch the world as it cycles, always amazed at its ever changing elegance, thanking God for allowing me to witness His beauty first hand.

As I was thinking about this blog post after class on Friday, this song happened to come up on my ipod and I thought, "Thoreau would really appreciate this." So, in honor, I am posting it in memory of Thoreau and also for your own enjoyment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My9I8q-iJCI