"to the dull mind, all nature is leaden. to the illuminated mind, the whole world sparkles with light"
Nature is the world void of material wealth, human beings, civilization and societal pressure. Nature is an escape, a place to which one's mind can truly wander, and think openly. It is in nature that we are most openly ourselves for it is only nature that can break down the barrier we have built to hide from society our innermost desires and thoughts.
'Experience nature.'
Nature isn't exactly the concrete sidewalk or the endless swerving roads in my neighborhood, but the more I think about it, the less I feel as though to experience nature I need to be there directly. Not to say that one can truly experience nature sitting in front of a computer with a cell phone barely an arm's length away, and a television not much farther, but why not attempt to do so.
Riding myself of all distractions aside from the soft whirring of a computer playing Debussy's Clair de Lune, I let my mind wander and allowed the barrier to be broken. The melody brought me back to my nature experience. After all, there is a rhythm in nature, you just need to listen closely to find it.
In my mind, it was no longer the fall, but rather a hot, muggy August afternoon in a suburb of Detroit. I had woken that morning to find sunlight penetrating the room. The glass wall, not to mention, the reflection of the light off the jeweled blue lake, let the light shine in from all angles.
Surprised I was able to sleep so late with the light nearly blinding me, I made my way downstairs, stumbling over my cousin's toys scattered across the stairway. After breakfast, we had made our way out to the lake, and it was just like any normal summer day.
Why the melody reminded me of this particular experience I do not know, but I remember that day being one in which I was so carefree. I remember clearly that my brother had arrived in town a few days prior for another cousin's wedding and came to spend the day with us. It would be my last day staying over there for we were due to return home in time to get ready for the new school year.
That day was the culmination of the summer yet it was no different than any other day.
We woke up. Had a hearty breakfast. Went outside. Hung out for awhile. Then when the weather got really nice, got out the jet skis and boats, and spent the rest of the day on the lake.
Being out on the lake was like nothing else. Laying stomach down on an inner tube, being dragged along at speeds you don't want to imagine with the sun shining down on your back and people you truly care for cheering you on while secretly hoping you'll wipe out really badly so they can have a good laugh. None of us had to put up a facade, and the walls we had built up had been torn down with every meal we'd eaten together over the course of that summer, the movies we'd watched, the laughs we'd shared, the wipe outs, and the times we were together just to stare out at the lake in awe of all the beauty that surrounded us.
The ending of the song brought me out of my trance.
iTunes shuffle could not have more appropriately chosen a song.
Footloose and Fancy Free by Camera Obscura
Buy me an advent calendar
It seems the thought of days without you make me sadder
Don’t visit me now you make me want to do myself in
I’ll see you sometime but I won’t see you soon
I know something’s about you
I won’t spill the beans
There’s a spool in my own camera that’s never been seen
I could write it all down but it won’t be enough
I want you to be happy with someone to love
It won’t be me
It won’t be you
Pretty soon we’ll agree to be free
Footloose and fancy free
The songs lyrics were a perfect way to summarize the day.
I didn't want the summer to be over. The idea of changing the routine I had grown so accustomed to was beyond my comprehension. I knew that at some point the summer had to end, but it was so nice to just escape from everything, and spend my days meandering around a grassy opening, or burying my toes the warm sand. I would even miss wiping out so horribly that I would feel the burn of where my body hit the water. Words couldn't do the summer justice, nor could a picture. Though it was (initially) a noble attempt, at best, to keep a journal chronicalling my summer, after the first two days, I all but forgot about it. Pictures were taken of us goofing around, but somehow the thing that meant the most to us was when we gave each other a certain look, or a few silly words that would have us all rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. The most important thing about that summer was the bond that grew between us, and going back to school, and to our friends meant the walls would have to be rebuilt, and emotions would be guarded once again. Being together that summer, we were just as the song states,
'Experience nature.'
Nature isn't exactly the concrete sidewalk or the endless swerving roads in my neighborhood, but the more I think about it, the less I feel as though to experience nature I need to be there directly. Not to say that one can truly experience nature sitting in front of a computer with a cell phone barely an arm's length away, and a television not much farther, but why not attempt to do so.
Riding myself of all distractions aside from the soft whirring of a computer playing Debussy's Clair de Lune, I let my mind wander and allowed the barrier to be broken. The melody brought me back to my nature experience. After all, there is a rhythm in nature, you just need to listen closely to find it.
In my mind, it was no longer the fall, but rather a hot, muggy August afternoon in a suburb of Detroit. I had woken that morning to find sunlight penetrating the room. The glass wall, not to mention, the reflection of the light off the jeweled blue lake, let the light shine in from all angles.
Surprised I was able to sleep so late with the light nearly blinding me, I made my way downstairs, stumbling over my cousin's toys scattered across the stairway. After breakfast, we had made our way out to the lake, and it was just like any normal summer day.
Why the melody reminded me of this particular experience I do not know, but I remember that day being one in which I was so carefree. I remember clearly that my brother had arrived in town a few days prior for another cousin's wedding and came to spend the day with us. It would be my last day staying over there for we were due to return home in time to get ready for the new school year.
That day was the culmination of the summer yet it was no different than any other day.
We woke up. Had a hearty breakfast. Went outside. Hung out for awhile. Then when the weather got really nice, got out the jet skis and boats, and spent the rest of the day on the lake.
Being out on the lake was like nothing else. Laying stomach down on an inner tube, being dragged along at speeds you don't want to imagine with the sun shining down on your back and people you truly care for cheering you on while secretly hoping you'll wipe out really badly so they can have a good laugh. None of us had to put up a facade, and the walls we had built up had been torn down with every meal we'd eaten together over the course of that summer, the movies we'd watched, the laughs we'd shared, the wipe outs, and the times we were together just to stare out at the lake in awe of all the beauty that surrounded us.
The ending of the song brought me out of my trance.
iTunes shuffle could not have more appropriately chosen a song.
Footloose and Fancy Free by Camera Obscura
Buy me an advent calendar
It seems the thought of days without you make me sadder
Don’t visit me now you make me want to do myself in
I’ll see you sometime but I won’t see you soon
I know something’s about you
I won’t spill the beans
There’s a spool in my own camera that’s never been seen
I could write it all down but it won’t be enough
I want you to be happy with someone to love
It won’t be me
It won’t be you
Pretty soon we’ll agree to be free
Footloose and fancy free
The songs lyrics were a perfect way to summarize the day.
I didn't want the summer to be over. The idea of changing the routine I had grown so accustomed to was beyond my comprehension. I knew that at some point the summer had to end, but it was so nice to just escape from everything, and spend my days meandering around a grassy opening, or burying my toes the warm sand. I would even miss wiping out so horribly that I would feel the burn of where my body hit the water. Words couldn't do the summer justice, nor could a picture. Though it was (initially) a noble attempt, at best, to keep a journal chronicalling my summer, after the first two days, I all but forgot about it. Pictures were taken of us goofing around, but somehow the thing that meant the most to us was when we gave each other a certain look, or a few silly words that would have us all rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. The most important thing about that summer was the bond that grew between us, and going back to school, and to our friends meant the walls would have to be rebuilt, and emotions would be guarded once again. Being together that summer, we were just as the song states,
footloose and fancy free
Photo Credits (from Flickr):
1. flower (cosmos) - thezephyrsong_tzs
2. Lake St. Peter HDR [2] - Rick Harris
1. flower (cosmos) - thezephyrsong_tzs
2. Lake St. Peter HDR [2] - Rick Harris
1 comment:
Wow. That was beautiful. I mean it. : ]
I particularly love the idea of being able to find your own piece nature in a completely "unnatural" setting. I think that your definition of nature really opens up the doors for this sort of thing.
To you, nature isn't merely where there are lots of trees and grass, but rather where "we are most openly ourselves." So why can't that be a suburb in Detroit, or in front of a computer? I love the idea that just by closing your eyes, and listening to a certain song, you find nature.
I think that you also cross that boundary between physical nature and human nature. The idea that physical nature unleashes our true human nature really speaks to me.
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