So this week has come and gone and I am left to write on the blog. To be honest I don't have a lot on my mind. It could be because this last week I have had an exam or test in every single one of my classes and I think my brain is telling me to relax and let it rest for a bit. At least that is what I am hoping that my brain is telling me. However while I write this I am reminded of the power of doing nothing. Sometimes we as a society try to accomplish all the things on our to-do lists in one day that we forget that we need to stop and let life take care of itself.
In 1988 there occured a seemingly huge tragedy (aren't all tragedies huge?) in Yellowstone National Park. The previous years had not seen much moisture and the forest surrounding and engulfing Yellowstone was an older forest, a lot of trees had died and were rotting and not a lot of new growth had occured. The summer of 1988 was a record setting hot summer for Yellowstone which, when combined with the aforementioned circumstances, created the perfect storm for Yellowstone. Rains eventually came but so did lightning storms that ignited a blazing inferno that consumed a great portion of the wilderness. My family and I greatly enjoy vacationing in Yellowstone and were saddened by the loss, especially since we were part of the first groups allowed to enter back into Yellowstone after the fires had been contained. All I can say is that it was utterly heartbreaking to see the devastation. In 2008 My family and I had the opportunity to return to Yellowstone once again and this time there was a stark contrast to that fall 20 years earlier. The new growth was maturing, the park was as splendid and breath-taking as ever, and except for the recorded images, much of that scene in 1988 could not be seen. The only way that the new growth could have had a chance at developing and maturing was for the older growth to die and to have their nutrients returned to the earth. Life could not continue until the old died and people allowed the forest to perform its function. The forest knew what to do, just step back and let life show that it could overcome adversity and trial.
The message is the same for us. Sometimes I think we as a population and society feel like we are capable of solving the worlds problems, especially when it comes to mother earth and large scale issues. We may be able to change some things but we must also know that the earth is able to take care of itself, without the aid of humans. Life has a way of finding a balance and the more and more we fight it the more and more we are fighting against an inmovable opponent. So please let us all take a break now and again, it will surprise you what happens when we just stop mucking things up.
¡Finzamos!
The Official Blog for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Spanish 4362/Language 7313.
1 comment:
Yeah, sometimes I wonder that we try so hard to fix mother earth that we are in reality hurting her. Yellow for me is purity. The reason why I say this is because I remember hiking up there and looking and diping my hands and feet in the streams and rivers and seemed so pure and clean. Another thing that I noticed is that nature is a strong froce or oganism if you want to call it. I seemed more strong than our own urban cities and steets and just as active/alive with all the sounds animals and bugs. The diversity was even more so than our own man made cities.
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