In order to successfully dedicate my attention and energy to a full hour of nature, I made it a goal to scout out an appealing hike in Shenandoah National Park, with the travel time of over an hour to ensure quality screen time with my device. The description below is of my journey to Dark Hollows Falls Trail.
With my partner driving the car, the GPS was set to Dark Hollows Falls Trail, with an estimated trip duration of just short of two hours. The first hour is enough time for me to fully emerge myself in with the different ecosystems of social media applications. I begin with Twitter, as I click into “Trending Now For You”, yet another mass shooting has taken place in the United States, specifically in Texas, and the worlds responses are pouring in. Tweets about gun control and politics sparks controversy over American’s safety. I read on as Hurricane Dorian as killed at least five individuals in the Bahamas, staying stationary over the islands. But no need to worry, as Red Lobster has announced $15.99 all you can eat shrimp which has captivated the attention of seafood lovers all over the internet… some are more concerned with the company’s untimely marketing campaign in the midst of national tragedies. What’s really a tragedy is that Novak Djovokic was booed by spectators after retiring mid-match against Stan Wawrinka. According to followers, Djovokic has been battling a shoulder injury, but critics are quick to point out that if he was really that injured, he should have pulled out before the match. Bad look for Djovokic. But not as bad as the decision a Catholic School in Nashville, Tennessee made to ban Harry Potter Books from the shelves of its school library. The advice consulted from Exorcists highlights the “curses and spells” could potentially conjure up evil demonic spirits. I agree with @jessicahuseman, I hate it when my coffee cup suddenly turns into a mouse while reading Harry Potter. I stumbled upon wise words from @NICKIMINAJ as she lists out what a man who loves me would not do. Her empowering statements about helping women out of toxic, unhealthy relationships have followers open arms about sharing their stories about abusive relationships. I click over to my TimeLine and read through tweets specifically from the people I follow. As I’m scrolling its mostly football highlights, some baby pictures, fighting videos, and unfiltered thought chains from people speaking about their personal issues publicly. I’m bored now, so I double tap my home button of my iPhone into Facebook. I first click into “Marketplace” where I scroll through the junk other people are selling. Recently I’ve been searching for a rug. “Oh this one looks nice” and I send a message asking if its available. While I wait, I’ll head over to my Timeline, where the first ad I see is for make-up subscriptions and athletic wear. Regular. I scroll down until I find an interesting video. Stopping on a food video of course, It’s a Gordon Ramsey video of him cooking the perfect steak in a frying pan. Next video in-queue to play is another Gordon Ramsey video of him critiquing food from a reality cooking show. By this time we have made it into the National Park, so I have to “check in” my location on Facebook and show how outdoorsy I am. Popping into Instagram now to scroll some more.
Pulling into the parking lot of the trail head at the Dark Hollows Falls Trail in the Shenandoah National Park, my eyes are fixed on the amount of car on this busy Labor Day weekend. Upon parking, I gather our belongings and headed to the trunk of the car to grab the backpack. While getting situated, I look around at the various trees that are hugging the edges of the parking lot. The trail head is busy, with smiling faces of families and singles enjoying the day. People seemed to be comforted by the simplicity of the outdoors, and I grew more excited to get moving. The trail was moderately difficult hike, with a mostly down hill slope, taking us deeper towards our destination. The rocks scattering the trail were smooth, and the dirt was moist from a past rain. Less than a 1.5 mile hike, I took notice to the colors of the various tree leaves and contrasting pops of colors from other plants and flowers. It was buggy, with the sounds of passing insects filling the sound of the air. The trail was set into the ground, as moss and other vegetation grew to frame the border of where our human impact met the lush forest ecosystem. Getting closer, the trail took a drastic turn becoming quite steep. My mind became focused on the task at hand. Carefully moving down the wooden steps of the trail towards the Dark Hollows Falls, I become overwhelmed by the beauty of the moving water falling down the steep rocks. The pool below was clear, and I could see the bedrock and aquatic vegetation existing below me. I spent some time admiring the falls, thinking about amazing it is. I was tempted to take out my phone and snap a picture to share, but that was the exact point of this day… to enjoy my environment without the need for technology. I enjoy eating a packed sandwich and water, looking around at the amazing landscape. I am completely entertained by the liveliness around me. I look down at the pool, closing my eyes to listen. The running water is so relaxing, and I feel at peace. At this moment I could spend all day in this exact spot. But I must continue on. The trail leads past the Falls to begin the Rose River Loop Trail. I begin walk further down, taking time to try to find any display of wild animals. The trails are busy, and more people are headed back towards the parking lot. Deciding to turn back, the hike back up the steep slopes was rigorous, but the view coming back was even more enjoyable. I focused on finding points I missed before, looking for different plants or flowers. With distractions such as technology, it is clear that I would have missed opportunities to be mindful and enjoy living in the moment.
To conclude this day, I spent my time in the car ride back engaging in a reflecting. I thought back to the emotions I felt during my time on social media… worried, disappointed, fearful… yet I was learning. I became caught up in gathering as much information as I could about anything I could, I wasn’t focused on anything at all. Becoming so accustom to reading headlines about tragedies, I spent more time reading about special food promotions than actual news. However, during my time hiking towards the falls, I spent time giving attention to my natural environment. Learning about the intricacies of the ecosystems above and below the water’s surface. I was able to slow down in my period of relaxation, to appreciate the nothingness in my mind. I was content with just exploring the falling water with my eyes and pondering questions of my own. Although Twitter and Facebook are distractions to me, I have to give credit to the level of connectivity. I’m up to date with news yet influenced by other’s comments. When I was in nature, I was not connected to anything accept my natural environment, which if I can be honest, was very refreshing. These two contrasting experiences have left me with a goal of becoming more balanced. By learning how to use my device to access information with a purpose, I will eliminate the other time spent reading/watching purposeless posts. Additionally, I need to be more mindful about adopting time in my day to enjoy the outdoors and bring my focus down to an environment. I am more encouraged to seek out this time media free, to bring more relaxation and personal meditation and reflection into my life.