“Every sunset which I witness inspires me with the desire to go to a West as distant and as fair as that into which the sun goes down.” Thoreau refers to the sunset as, “the great Western pioneer.” I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Washington State is home of Seattle, the “Emerald city”, the Cascade mountain range, Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound and miles of Pacific Coast shoreline and highway. It is breathtakingly beautiful. When I say that I mean, stop you dead in your tracks, consciously remember to breathe and pick your jaw up off the ground beautiful.
I am spoiled, totally and completely spoiled from having grown up in such a magnificent part of the country and world for that matter. I inherited a deep seeded love for nature, for its’ beauty and all it has to offer. I am from a lower middle class family and I have six brothers and sisters. Since we didn’t have a lot of money growing up my family usually went for the free outdoor activities and for that I am truly grateful. Instead of going to Disneyland we went camping. Instead of going to amusement parks we went on day trips to the ocean. Instead of a fancy vacation we took road trips out to the Olympic Peninsula. I wouldn’t trade the experiences or the memories for any others.
I can see most of our recent readings manifest in my experiences with nature. I am my true self out in the woods when I am swimming through icy glacial run off or hiking through a forest so green it looks like it was taken straight from the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz. When I am immersed with the independence of solitude I can listen to what the earth is trying to teach me through the winds song and the sunsets’ vision. When I am living a full life I become one with the mountains and I know that with enough faith I can move them. My life would not be full if I didn’t have the peace I feel from leaving the crazy modern world behind and seeking out the stillness of the outdoors. Those moments are sublime when words escape me and I am moved with emotion, to tears, at the beauty God has created and given to us, his children. “Give me the ocean, the desert or the wilderness. In the desert the, pure air and solitude compensate for want of moisture and fertility. There is the strength, the marrow of nature. The wild-wood covers the virgin mould, -- and the same soil is good for men and for trees” (Thoreau).
My relationship with nature is one of reverence and awe. I would much rather be, “an inhabitant of nature than a member of society.” My relationship with nature is one of peace and gratitude. I possess that, “spirit of undying adventure, never to return” and often have to stop myself from wanting to just go and not come back. My relationship with nature continues to strengthen and grow. I love to be, absolutely free from all worldly engagements” and to lose myself where I truly belong. I hope I will be able to share that relationship with my son. I hope he will grow up to know and love nature the way I do.
Why didn’t I take a walk? “How womankind, who are confined to the house still more than men, stand it I do not know” (Thoreau). There are many things I wish I had time to do that I simply don’t. My days are filled with school work (being a scholar), my son (living a full life) and work (just one of those necessities). I simply didn’t have time to get out and enjoy one of the things I love the most. I am torn between Emerson and my love of learning and Thoreau and my love of nature. “I wonder about this time, or say between four and five o’ clock in the afternoon, too late for the morning papers and too early for the evening ones, there is not a general explosion heard up and down the street, scattering of antiquated and housebred notions and whims to the four winds for an airing, and so the evil cure itself” (Thoreau). I find myself fighting this desire to explode from my house and return to the outdoors. I know that I there is a time and a season for everything. Right now being a scholar is my first priority so I can graduate.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Extra Credit: You go take a hike!!
Monday, November 2, 2009I have six siblings and twelve nieces and nephews. My oldest sister is 34 and my youngest sister just turned 21. The oldest nephew is 10 and the youngest niece was born two weeks ago. My family is tall, loud and crazy! We joke that we are a traveling three ring circus all rolled into one family. That being said, almost all of us decided to go walk the flood wall, tour around Belle and Brown island and do the canal walk. It was BEAUTIFUL on Monday and we were itching to be outside.
There is an entrance to the flood wall off Hull St. My parents love to go walking there and decided to take the family. My dad, who is a great "outdoorsman" and my brother who is in the military (and thinks he knows everything) were certain there was a way to get from the flood wall to the back side of Belle island which would led us to the canal walk. In Thoreau's essay Walking, he talks about,"the spirit of undying adventure, never to return." Never to return...I was beginning to feel this way after we had left the beaten path and were relentlessly pushing forward. My dad and brother were sure we were NOT lost. All I knew was that we were still in Richmond, I just didn't have any idea where!! "There has to be a connecting trail here somewhere," my dad said. "Here I go ahead and do some recon. Yes, let's take this path it connects to another up there," said my brother.
Let me paint this picture more clearly for you. First, we have a wheel chair in tow because my mom has a bad back and can't walk for long distances. There are at least two strollers for the little ones. My sister-in-law has her one year old in a back pack and the two week old is in the front pack. What?! That is crazy, right?! That's how we roll. I took my son camping for the first time when he was three months old. Anyway, This"path", was one of many, my brother encouraged us to take. He did just fine walking down it and the rest of us off roading with strollers an wheel chairs.
There were about 15 of us all together. Kids are hungry, someone needs water and then a diaper change. My nephew takes off running, he doesn't have a shirt on because he took it off because he was hot, and he totally bites it, HARD. Only a little blood and some major road rash on his chest. No worries, it makes him look tough. We Finally find the connecting path, after about an extra 45 minutes of searching and we make it to Belle island. We have some friends with us from out of town who have never been to Belle island. My dad is eager to share all of the rich, history of the island with them. The island is beautiful in all its' fall colors and the air is warm yet still has the unique feeling of Autumn to it.
I have been to Belle island many times but this time I saw a new historical marker. It said "Place of Suffering" It talked about the prisoners that were brought to the island and how they were intentionally treated poorly to break them down and they were starved so they had no will to fight back. One of my not too distant relatives, Thorpe, was a prisoner at Belle island. Thoreau also talks about," being absolutely free from worldly engagements." Sometimes I would walk ahead to get away from the craziness and enjoy the being outside during my favorite time of the year.
The quote at the top of the page is set into a bridge that juts out into the James. It says, " you are free -- free as air... you can cast off the name of slave and trample upon it." -President Abraham Lincoln. I have only lived here in Richmond for two years but I LOVE how rich the history is here. SO... it was fun to get out on a beautiful fall day and enjoy nature. I have to admit, Dr. Brandon, there was NO independence of solitude on this trip. It was more controlled chaos with some random insanity thrown in. It WAS part of my "full life". I love being with my family and I love being outside. I do feel "equally at home everywhere" but I feel more at home with my family and when I am outside.
Monday, November 2, 2009
A workable solution
This is probably the hardest and longest writing assignment we have been given. I am frustrated that it happens to be both all in one assignment. It is easy to point out the problems that exist in the world. It is very difficult to try and think of a workable solution to one or any of them. Before being asked to write my last essay, I was quite self righteous and thought that certainly I had no part in and didn’t assist, in anyway, perpetuating evil in this world. I relate and identify with one of my classmates essays. She wrote about the use of animals for testing cosmetics and medicine and compared that to slavery. I support her statement that some evil is backed by good. Sometimes there are social justifications for our actions but that doesn’t make our actions right.
I was forced to sit and rack my brain for personal actions that support some evil in the world. At first I thought this was nonsense. I thought there was no way I would be able to do the assignment because I am too aware and too well adjusted to have any part in such things. I’m fairly certain I have been quite ignorant to what I have been party to in the past. Then I thought of my son. His blood is half mine and the other belongs to a man who “does not belong here.” His father is an illegal immigrant who hides among the lower working class. He takes the jobs that no one else wants and does it for a wage that no one else will work for. I am a different person now then I was then because of my close proximity to the issue. It has changed my heart and it has changed the way I think about immigrants in this country.
I think it would be nearly impossible to shift society as a whole into accepting the massive number of immigrants that are accepted in the U.S. each year. Since 2000, legal immigrants to the United States number approximately 1,000,000 per year, of whom about 600,000 are Change of Status immigrants who already are in the U.S. (Wikipedia). This means 600,000 of those people who become legal citizens every year are already here illegally or on work visas and are simply changing their status. Our intolerant behavior is dangerous. It is dangerous because it mirrors the actions and intolerant attitude of Adolf Hitler. He only wanted a select few who belonged, the select few who had the right to freedom and education and happiness. That seed of hate, once planted, can grow and consume an individual. The seed of intolerance, once sown, can spread like disease and consume you from the inside out. Once one person isn’t welcome than others follow. Once people aren’t welcome, other actions and choices begin to be restricted. It is an avalanche of hate waiting to be set off.
We must remember we are all members of the human race. We are all brothers and sisters created by the same God who loves us and wants us to have peace and happiness. There is SO much wrong with the world but there are SO many who want to do good. We feel powerless as one individual but together we can accomplish so much. We need to start with the children. Alexander Liebenstein, a holocaust survivor, goes around the world teaching tolerance to children. We must start when they are young and pliable and impressionable. They are the future. Just like we teach drug abuse resistance education (DARE) we need to start nation- wide tolerance education programs in elementary schools. Education is key and knowledge is power. We need to empower the youth of tomorrow with the knowledge and belief of tolerance for all people today.
I don’t condone violence. Often, words and written discourse are the catalyst for great change. You can’t apply jail time and fines to intolerance. Unfortunately, you can’t prevent rebellion and war when it comes to tolerance either. It could come from either side. It could be the citizens living here or the immigrants trying to get here. Fighting for my son is worth sacrificing my life. We never really know what lengths we will go to trying to preserve our own lives and liberties. We never know until we must do it. Sacred honor is just that and it should be defended at all costs. What is worth losing everything for to you?
I was forced to sit and rack my brain for personal actions that support some evil in the world. At first I thought this was nonsense. I thought there was no way I would be able to do the assignment because I am too aware and too well adjusted to have any part in such things. I’m fairly certain I have been quite ignorant to what I have been party to in the past. Then I thought of my son. His blood is half mine and the other belongs to a man who “does not belong here.” His father is an illegal immigrant who hides among the lower working class. He takes the jobs that no one else wants and does it for a wage that no one else will work for. I am a different person now then I was then because of my close proximity to the issue. It has changed my heart and it has changed the way I think about immigrants in this country.
I think it would be nearly impossible to shift society as a whole into accepting the massive number of immigrants that are accepted in the U.S. each year. Since 2000, legal immigrants to the United States number approximately 1,000,000 per year, of whom about 600,000 are Change of Status immigrants who already are in the U.S. (Wikipedia). This means 600,000 of those people who become legal citizens every year are already here illegally or on work visas and are simply changing their status. Our intolerant behavior is dangerous. It is dangerous because it mirrors the actions and intolerant attitude of Adolf Hitler. He only wanted a select few who belonged, the select few who had the right to freedom and education and happiness. That seed of hate, once planted, can grow and consume an individual. The seed of intolerance, once sown, can spread like disease and consume you from the inside out. Once one person isn’t welcome than others follow. Once people aren’t welcome, other actions and choices begin to be restricted. It is an avalanche of hate waiting to be set off.
We must remember we are all members of the human race. We are all brothers and sisters created by the same God who loves us and wants us to have peace and happiness. There is SO much wrong with the world but there are SO many who want to do good. We feel powerless as one individual but together we can accomplish so much. We need to start with the children. Alexander Liebenstein, a holocaust survivor, goes around the world teaching tolerance to children. We must start when they are young and pliable and impressionable. They are the future. Just like we teach drug abuse resistance education (DARE) we need to start nation- wide tolerance education programs in elementary schools. Education is key and knowledge is power. We need to empower the youth of tomorrow with the knowledge and belief of tolerance for all people today.
I don’t condone violence. Often, words and written discourse are the catalyst for great change. You can’t apply jail time and fines to intolerance. Unfortunately, you can’t prevent rebellion and war when it comes to tolerance either. It could come from either side. It could be the citizens living here or the immigrants trying to get here. Fighting for my son is worth sacrificing my life. We never really know what lengths we will go to trying to preserve our own lives and liberties. We never know until we must do it. Sacred honor is just that and it should be defended at all costs. What is worth losing everything for to you?
Learning Reflection: week 9
Learning Reflection: Week 9
I have always told myself that I could never be guilty of perpetuating an evil such as slavery. Summer ’09 semester I took History 121. The course covered pre- Christopher Columbus to Lincoln and the succession. I was sure that this class had solidified the fact that I would never have been able to own slaves or be as cruel to any human being as some were back then. Dr. Brandon is always having us look at situations in a different light and with a new perspective. He said, “It is more difficult for us to see the evils in our own time which are incompatible with the things we hold to be true as Americans.” I used to be very selfish and territorial of “my country.” I used to feel like this was my country and everyone else didn’t belong here. Somewhere I went terribly wrong and somehow I felt like this was more my country then an individual who immigrated here.
“America culture and the literature we're reading is built on the shared belief that "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the persuit of happiness." -Dr. Brandon. Everyone has that right. Now I realize how evil I was being. My son’s father is here in this country illegally so I feel different now than I did back then. This country is for ALL people seeking opportunity and liberty. If owning slaves was considered the norm back then, maybe I would have owned slaves. I am not as ignorant now and I can honestly say there is a possibility I might have. This is a big step for me to see the issue from an entirely different perspective and be able to even entertain the idea.
I have always told myself that I could never be guilty of perpetuating an evil such as slavery. Summer ’09 semester I took History 121. The course covered pre- Christopher Columbus to Lincoln and the succession. I was sure that this class had solidified the fact that I would never have been able to own slaves or be as cruel to any human being as some were back then. Dr. Brandon is always having us look at situations in a different light and with a new perspective. He said, “It is more difficult for us to see the evils in our own time which are incompatible with the things we hold to be true as Americans.” I used to be very selfish and territorial of “my country.” I used to feel like this was my country and everyone else didn’t belong here. Somewhere I went terribly wrong and somehow I felt like this was more my country then an individual who immigrated here.
“America culture and the literature we're reading is built on the shared belief that "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the persuit of happiness." -Dr. Brandon. Everyone has that right. Now I realize how evil I was being. My son’s father is here in this country illegally so I feel different now than I did back then. This country is for ALL people seeking opportunity and liberty. If owning slaves was considered the norm back then, maybe I would have owned slaves. I am not as ignorant now and I can honestly say there is a possibility I might have. This is a big step for me to see the issue from an entirely different perspective and be able to even entertain the idea.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
And I perpetuate this....?!
Do you simply “tolerate” immigration in this country or do you openly welcome all to, “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Dr. Brandon said that, “how America has come to treat immigrants is clearly at odds with the founders intentions that all are equal.” The next wish of this traveller will be to know whence came all these people? They are mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have arisen (de Creveceour). In his essay, he was mostly referring to immigrants from Europe. Today we have more immigrants coming from countries where the standard of living is quite retched. The top three countries include Mexico, China and the Philippines.
I used to feel differently about illegal immigrants here in America than I do now. I am a native born citizen of this country. I am a thirty year old, Caucasian female, born and bred here in the U.S. My son’s father (who shall remain nameless and does not reside here in VA) is here in this country illegally. There is something to be said of our laws and proper procedure for coming to and living in this country. However, it is what it is and the fact remains I would not want him to be sent back now and for my son to be denied his father.
Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments; who owned not a single foot of the extensive surface of this planet? (de Creveceour) He is here now and he wants to belong. He works hard, most times employed with two or three different jobs at a time, doing jobs no one else wants and for a wage no one else would work for. Although he has bread and harvest, he is still looked down on with frowns not from the rich but those who are rightful citizens.
Often illegal immigrants have no face and no name. They are one amassed group of millions “who don’t belong and shouldn’t be here. Look at my blog home page and see the face of my child. Stare into those enormous brown eyes that could melt glaciers and tell him he can’t be with his papa anymore. His father was searching for more opportunities for himself and more opportunities for his extended family. He came here the only way he knew how. I do not justify the means by which he did it but he is here now. “His country is now that which gives him land, bread, protection, and consequence: Ubi panis ibi patria, is the motto of all emigrants. What then is the American, this new man? He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds he becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world” (de Creveceour).
Dr. Brandon said, “The founders wouldn't have cared who became a citizen. Essentially, they argued that everyone had the same rights and were due the same consideration.” Do only some people have the right to adopt America as their country? Since 2000, legal immigrants to the United States number approximately 1,000,000 per year, of whom about 600,000 are Change of Status immigrants who already are in the U.S. (Wikipedia.com). The U.S. should continue to be a place of refuge and a land of opportunity for all seeking it. We should stay true to the vision of the founding fathers and welcome all who wish to come here, within reason. Whether someone is a legal or illegal immigrant, I know many people feel this is our country and want everyone else to get out or stay out. Like I said, I used to feel differently than I do now. I know my son’s father is here illegally and I choose not to do anything about it. What you do?
I used to feel differently about illegal immigrants here in America than I do now. I am a native born citizen of this country. I am a thirty year old, Caucasian female, born and bred here in the U.S. My son’s father (who shall remain nameless and does not reside here in VA) is here in this country illegally. There is something to be said of our laws and proper procedure for coming to and living in this country. However, it is what it is and the fact remains I would not want him to be sent back now and for my son to be denied his father.
Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments; who owned not a single foot of the extensive surface of this planet? (de Creveceour) He is here now and he wants to belong. He works hard, most times employed with two or three different jobs at a time, doing jobs no one else wants and for a wage no one else would work for. Although he has bread and harvest, he is still looked down on with frowns not from the rich but those who are rightful citizens.
Often illegal immigrants have no face and no name. They are one amassed group of millions “who don’t belong and shouldn’t be here. Look at my blog home page and see the face of my child. Stare into those enormous brown eyes that could melt glaciers and tell him he can’t be with his papa anymore. His father was searching for more opportunities for himself and more opportunities for his extended family. He came here the only way he knew how. I do not justify the means by which he did it but he is here now. “His country is now that which gives him land, bread, protection, and consequence: Ubi panis ibi patria, is the motto of all emigrants. What then is the American, this new man? He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds he becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world” (de Creveceour).
Dr. Brandon said, “The founders wouldn't have cared who became a citizen. Essentially, they argued that everyone had the same rights and were due the same consideration.” Do only some people have the right to adopt America as their country? Since 2000, legal immigrants to the United States number approximately 1,000,000 per year, of whom about 600,000 are Change of Status immigrants who already are in the U.S. (Wikipedia.com). The U.S. should continue to be a place of refuge and a land of opportunity for all seeking it. We should stay true to the vision of the founding fathers and welcome all who wish to come here, within reason. Whether someone is a legal or illegal immigrant, I know many people feel this is our country and want everyone else to get out or stay out. Like I said, I used to feel differently than I do now. I know my son’s father is here illegally and I choose not to do anything about it. What you do?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Week 8: reflection and rough draft
When I enrolled in Early American Literature I was excited. I love to read. However, when I brought the books home and started skimming through them, I was really disappointed. I was sure this class would be dreadful, long, boring and tedious. I have never been more happy to be wrong. I will not be the first to say that the way Dr. Brandon’s class is organized is very conducive to reading, understanding and applying the literature in a fun and creative way. If the class was not set up in small committees, if we did not read and then write about the literature this class would have been agonizing and over whelming.
I have learned how to read real literature. I never knew reading literature could be SO different from novels. It has been vital over the last eight weeks to slow down and take more time. I have realized I have to allow time to read and think and reread. The technique that works best for me is when I read the writing prompt first so I have some idea of what I should be looking for in the reading. While I am reading I take quotes that will fit in with what I want to write about and my essays start to form and take shape. Although I do love to read, I have never had much exposure to transcendentalists and romantics. I had heard of Emerson, Thoreau and Poe but never laid eyes on their work. Men are like plants; the goodness and flavour of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment (de Crevecoeur, 56). I would add we are nothing but what we derive from the knowledge we acquire and apply in our lives. This has allowed me to take what I read and change myself and my life because of it.
I have learned how to apply the readings in my life. Before the class started I thought I would be a passive participant and a lot of parroting would take place. “In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking” (Emerson). This was my biggest moment in this class. Emerson hit me like a ton of bricks and opened my eyes. I thought of myself as a great student. I never thought of myself as a scholar. Now, I don’t know if I could even be called that. I have been parroting back information to try and earn high grades but I haven’t really been learning anything. I definitely haven’t been using the things I learn to spark unique and individual thought. I am ashamed of myself. I know I am capable of more than I have been doing. I was proud of my accomplishments so far but now the bar has been set higher. I want more out of my education and Emerson has opened that door to my personal greatness.
When I started reading our first assignment from de Crevecoeur I thought, “who in the world is so long winded that they can write one essay that is this many pages long?” The society and the authors that produced the literature came from a different world then we live in now. Someone pointed out to me that this was before television; this was before all of the modern technological distractions we have today. The world was more unstable and uncertain in an entirely different way. There were more unknowns, there was more that was changing and they had more time to ponder on these issues. As Dr. Brandon has told us, “Romanticism as a movement placed a tremendous value on the worth of the individual person and their ability to feel greatly, to imagine, and to sympathize. Romanticism was pivotal in providing Americans with an intellectual and artistic tradition.” The works that these authors produced played a very important role in shaping our country.
These works have had a tremendous impact on me. “To be awake is to be alive. I came to die only to discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep; to suck all the marrow out of life.” (Thoreau) I knew exactly that Thoreau was saying when he wrote that. It echoed the path I have been on for the last few years of my life. I enjoy learning and although, at times, the words of these great authors are very difficult to understand, they excite me. They inspire me to higher thinking and more fulfilled living. “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson). If each individual lived true to the independence of solitude it would completely change society as a whole. I believe that no one person can change the world but if each individual changes then those changes can affect the whole world. Sometimes when I am out in the world I feel like a treasonous imitation of myself. I don’t know why I find it so hard to maintain that independence.
Wikipedia says that the term sublime especially refers to a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation. Poe focused on terror and horror when feeling the sublime. Dr. Brandon also shared that the sublime can be elation or joy. The reason behind the search for these moments is that at no other time do we feel more alive. Sometimes life can feel like dream. The day to day monotony can drag and feel hauntingly repetitive. These moments snap us awake from our sleep walking. They are so intense and raw with extreme emotion there is no doubt that we are alive.
I will argue for an A. At this point it would be an A-. I enjoy writing very much and I think I am quite exceptional at it. I love words and because of my love for theatre I have quite a dramatic flair. I know that I can improve on the promptness of my writing assignments. My sublime moment I wrote about temporarily blinded me to my real life responsibilities. I have refocused and prioritized so I am back on track. The quality of my writing is well above average and the quantity is always exact to the specification of the weekly assignments page. The only other thing I need to do is continue to incorporate my readings into my writings like I did at the beginning of the semester.
I have learned how to read real literature. I never knew reading literature could be SO different from novels. It has been vital over the last eight weeks to slow down and take more time. I have realized I have to allow time to read and think and reread. The technique that works best for me is when I read the writing prompt first so I have some idea of what I should be looking for in the reading. While I am reading I take quotes that will fit in with what I want to write about and my essays start to form and take shape. Although I do love to read, I have never had much exposure to transcendentalists and romantics. I had heard of Emerson, Thoreau and Poe but never laid eyes on their work. Men are like plants; the goodness and flavour of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment (de Crevecoeur, 56). I would add we are nothing but what we derive from the knowledge we acquire and apply in our lives. This has allowed me to take what I read and change myself and my life because of it.
I have learned how to apply the readings in my life. Before the class started I thought I would be a passive participant and a lot of parroting would take place. “In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking” (Emerson). This was my biggest moment in this class. Emerson hit me like a ton of bricks and opened my eyes. I thought of myself as a great student. I never thought of myself as a scholar. Now, I don’t know if I could even be called that. I have been parroting back information to try and earn high grades but I haven’t really been learning anything. I definitely haven’t been using the things I learn to spark unique and individual thought. I am ashamed of myself. I know I am capable of more than I have been doing. I was proud of my accomplishments so far but now the bar has been set higher. I want more out of my education and Emerson has opened that door to my personal greatness.
When I started reading our first assignment from de Crevecoeur I thought, “who in the world is so long winded that they can write one essay that is this many pages long?” The society and the authors that produced the literature came from a different world then we live in now. Someone pointed out to me that this was before television; this was before all of the modern technological distractions we have today. The world was more unstable and uncertain in an entirely different way. There were more unknowns, there was more that was changing and they had more time to ponder on these issues. As Dr. Brandon has told us, “Romanticism as a movement placed a tremendous value on the worth of the individual person and their ability to feel greatly, to imagine, and to sympathize. Romanticism was pivotal in providing Americans with an intellectual and artistic tradition.” The works that these authors produced played a very important role in shaping our country.
These works have had a tremendous impact on me. “To be awake is to be alive. I came to die only to discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep; to suck all the marrow out of life.” (Thoreau) I knew exactly that Thoreau was saying when he wrote that. It echoed the path I have been on for the last few years of my life. I enjoy learning and although, at times, the words of these great authors are very difficult to understand, they excite me. They inspire me to higher thinking and more fulfilled living. “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson). If each individual lived true to the independence of solitude it would completely change society as a whole. I believe that no one person can change the world but if each individual changes then those changes can affect the whole world. Sometimes when I am out in the world I feel like a treasonous imitation of myself. I don’t know why I find it so hard to maintain that independence.
Wikipedia says that the term sublime especially refers to a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation. Poe focused on terror and horror when feeling the sublime. Dr. Brandon also shared that the sublime can be elation or joy. The reason behind the search for these moments is that at no other time do we feel more alive. Sometimes life can feel like dream. The day to day monotony can drag and feel hauntingly repetitive. These moments snap us awake from our sleep walking. They are so intense and raw with extreme emotion there is no doubt that we are alive.
I will argue for an A. At this point it would be an A-. I enjoy writing very much and I think I am quite exceptional at it. I love words and because of my love for theatre I have quite a dramatic flair. I know that I can improve on the promptness of my writing assignments. My sublime moment I wrote about temporarily blinded me to my real life responsibilities. I have refocused and prioritized so I am back on track. The quality of my writing is well above average and the quantity is always exact to the specification of the weekly assignments page. The only other thing I need to do is continue to incorporate my readings into my writings like I did at the beginning of the semester.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Nature
Why I didn’t take a walk.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Washington state is home of the Emerald city, the Cascade mountain range, Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound and miles of Pacific Coast shoreline and highway. It is breathtakingly beautiful. When I say that I mean stop you dead in your tracks, consciously remember to breathe and pick your jaw up off the ground beautiful.
I am spoiled, totally and completely spoiled from having grown up in such a magnificent part of the country and world for that matter. I inherited a deep seeded love for nature. For its’ beauty and all it has to offer. I am from a lower middle class family and I have six brothers and sisters. Since we didn’t have a lot of money growing up my family usually went for the free outdoor activities and for that I am truly grateful. Instead of going to Disneyland we went camping. Instead of going to amusement parks we went on day trips to the ocean. Instead of a fancy vacation we took road trips out to the Olympic Peninsula. I wouldn’t trade the experiences or the memories for any others.
I can see most of our recent readings manifest in my experiences with nature. I am my true self out in the woods. When I am swimming through icy glacial run off or hiking through a forest so green it looks like it was taken straight from Oz or the Emerald City. When I am immersed with the independence of solitude I can listen to what the earth is trying to teach me through the winds song, the sunsets vision and the feel of the breeze on my skin. When I am living a full life I become one with the mountains and I know that with enough faith I can move them. My life would not be full if I didn’t have the peace I feel from leaving the crazy modern world behind and seeking out the stillness of the outdoors. Those moments are sublime when words escape me and I am moved with emotion, to tears, at the beauty God has created and given to us, his children.
My relationship with nature is one of reverence and awe. My relationship with nature is one of peace and gratitude. My relationship with nature continues to strengthen and grow. I hope I will be able to share that relationship with my son. I hope he will grow up to know and love nature the way I do.
Why I didn’t take a walk… there are many things I wish I had time to do that I simply don’t. My days are filled with school work (being a scholar), my son (living a full life) and work (just one of those necessities). I simply didn’t have time to get out and enjoy one of the things I love the most. It is going on the “to do” list and the next time I do get out I will think of this assignment. I hope I will enjoy it even more!
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Washington state is home of the Emerald city, the Cascade mountain range, Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound and miles of Pacific Coast shoreline and highway. It is breathtakingly beautiful. When I say that I mean stop you dead in your tracks, consciously remember to breathe and pick your jaw up off the ground beautiful.
I am spoiled, totally and completely spoiled from having grown up in such a magnificent part of the country and world for that matter. I inherited a deep seeded love for nature. For its’ beauty and all it has to offer. I am from a lower middle class family and I have six brothers and sisters. Since we didn’t have a lot of money growing up my family usually went for the free outdoor activities and for that I am truly grateful. Instead of going to Disneyland we went camping. Instead of going to amusement parks we went on day trips to the ocean. Instead of a fancy vacation we took road trips out to the Olympic Peninsula. I wouldn’t trade the experiences or the memories for any others.
I can see most of our recent readings manifest in my experiences with nature. I am my true self out in the woods. When I am swimming through icy glacial run off or hiking through a forest so green it looks like it was taken straight from Oz or the Emerald City. When I am immersed with the independence of solitude I can listen to what the earth is trying to teach me through the winds song, the sunsets vision and the feel of the breeze on my skin. When I am living a full life I become one with the mountains and I know that with enough faith I can move them. My life would not be full if I didn’t have the peace I feel from leaving the crazy modern world behind and seeking out the stillness of the outdoors. Those moments are sublime when words escape me and I am moved with emotion, to tears, at the beauty God has created and given to us, his children.
My relationship with nature is one of reverence and awe. My relationship with nature is one of peace and gratitude. My relationship with nature continues to strengthen and grow. I hope I will be able to share that relationship with my son. I hope he will grow up to know and love nature the way I do.
Why I didn’t take a walk… there are many things I wish I had time to do that I simply don’t. My days are filled with school work (being a scholar), my son (living a full life) and work (just one of those necessities). I simply didn’t have time to get out and enjoy one of the things I love the most. It is going on the “to do” list and the next time I do get out I will think of this assignment. I hope I will enjoy it even more!
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