Two Hours

Olivia Garcia

In my one hour of media consumption, I watched an episode of Planet Earth and for an hour I listened to David Attenborough’s lovely voice talking about nature and wildlife that can be found living in some of the biggest cities in the world like New York and Mumbai. With this playing in the background, I check my social media accounts (Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook) and my email throughout the hour. Not really looking at anything specific, but just casually scrolling through pictures of friends and family, news, sports updates, and sponsored ads mindlessly. With a nature documentary on in the background, I see on my phone screen headlines about things like Hurricane Dorian, who’s moving onto the quarterfinals in the US Open, the Amazon rainforest fires, and updates on what happened this week on Bachelor in Paradise. I notice that this is a large part of how I get my news and knowledge about the world around me. At home, I watch the news regularly with my parents but at college, my source is honestly whether or not it comes up on any of my media feeds. I think this shows how social media tailors one’s outlook of the world. 

In my hour of being in nature, I went to DC over the weekend and spent about an hour walking around the National Mall and along the Tidal Basin. While there was a lot of people all around, just being outside felt very freeing and relaxing. It was very hot and humid outside, but a slight breeze made everything feel a lot better. Even in the city, I see find a lot of wildlife. There are so many squirrels, various birds, and insects all over. One tourist family that I observed was crowded nearby this one squirrel on the Mall and were all freaking out and taking pictures of it. I guess squirrels aren’t a common sight wherever they are from? I love that in the middle of a big busy bustling city like DC, there’s so much green space right in the heart of all of it. It gives people the chance to breathe a little and have a brain break from the craziness of living and working in a media-dominated world.

In these two hours, I feel like I got to appreciate just how much being outside and walking around can actually do for me in contrast to laying in bed and watching but not really watching TV and being on my phone. Even in a heavily populated and visited area, nature still has a huge impact. Visiting the National Mall always feels like walking in a little haven from the city for me. While laying in bed is also a relaxation activity for me, being outside just puts me in a better mood. There’s always something to notice and discover, whereas inside things are a lot more predictable and monotone. I still enjoy being indoors, but I think I would like to find more of balance in my life and do more outside as much as possible.

Ray Zhang

 I went camping over the weekend for three nights at Chincoteague VA. I spent a lot of hours away from technology throughout the weekend doing many things but perhaps the most impactful and appropriate hour spent away from technology was just sitting around a campfire with friends and after they had gone to bed. 

      Night has swallowed the campsite and everything is blanketed by the darkness. The sky is barely visible behind the large pine trees, and where there is sky it is bright and peppered with stars. There is a slight but constant breeze flowing through the air, originating from the wide open marshlands nearby. In front of me is a fire, roaring and flickering about as it engulfs the fire wood. The fire is volatile and always moving, transitioning from one form to another, yet the heat it brings is a stable and consistent force constantly pushing against my body. The real power of fires is not its heat though, it is its ability to draw in humans and animals, and even keep us sedated. I sit around the fire, merrily conversing with my friends. Conversations are light but meaningful. Everybody is enjoying themselves, either hanging out or doing their own things around the fire. People come and go as they start preparing to sleep, and as time passes on there are less and less people around the fire. Eventually I am the last person around the fire. The fire itself is dwindling, and now a much less formidable version of itself. Its flames are constantly being pushed down by the wind, as if it was toying with the fire’s life. As I stare at the dying fire alone, my thoughts begin to drift away. I begin to reminisce about the past few days, thinking about all the fun I had. A bit of sadness creeps in as I realize most of the vacation is over and soon enough I’ll be back to living my usual life. Thoughts about all the responsibilities, homework, pressing concerns, and future problems I have start rushing through my brain. Thoughts of each thing I have to do start racing through my brain, each thought like a train carrying loads of heavy thoughts. My mind begins to have trouble continuing thoughts as a new one comes racing in, blowing the previous one off its tracks. Before things get too hectic I remind myself to live in the moment and just appreciate the time I have spent and the time I have left. My thoughts slow down and I begin to just stare at the fire, barely alive with only a few pieces of wood and some flickering embers. I just sit there, letting all my senses take everything in. I see the dull orange flames and bright red embers. I feel the slight heat against my toes and feet, and the wind grazing my back. I hear the insects chirping in the background. I smell the burnt wood and ashes in front of me, and the clean air all around me. After a little while of just enjoying the peace I finally go back into my tent and go to sleep. 

        The time I spent with technology was using my computer before bed and on my phone in bed. While on the computer I was playing games, browsing reddit, watching shows and chatting with friends. While in bed and on my phone I am playing phone games, looking through reddit, or watching youtube videos. Whenever I am using technology, no matter the activity or setting, I seem to get lost within the screen and lose track of my surroundings. I also seem to lose the ability to think and just tunnel vision into whatever I am doing on the phone of computer. With such convenient access to technology nowadays it personally seems like it is much easier to get distracted. Phones and computers seem to be able to take you on rides. You stay wherever you’re at, mostly motionless and just submitting yourself to the journey it takes you on. It may seem like you’re in control as you are the one clicking and deciding “where to go”, however the screen still has you trapped in its own world, and has taken you on a journey through the web, away from the physical world. 

         Comparing and contrasting these two experiences showed me a couple things about how my experiences affected my thoughts and senses. In nature and especially when alone, my brain is “working”. I am able to think about things. My thoughts may run amok sometimes but otherwise things proceed logically or rationally while I am in nature. Processing information and knowing what the next logical step to take seems to be the natural state of being, however when using technology, things seem to eventually default to just taking in information and nothing else. Another thing I noticed between the two experiences was how they affected how I took in my surroundings. While in nature I am able to absorb everything around me. I notice whatever my senses are able to sense at least. I can see, feel, hear, etc. While using technology though, instead of absorbing the setting around me, I become absorbed into whatever activity I’m doing. I get lost in the screen and lose track of what is around me. I lose track of my senses, except for sight, and get lost in whatever world I choose to be in. What I’ve really learned from this is that when using technology it is very easy to get lost into what you’re doing, and in nature it is easier to get lost in your thoughts. 

Jan Jan Maran

Scrolling through Instagram on a Thursday night for an hour, I came across a variety of posts made by friends from high school, college, church, and the Burmese community I knew, plus some organizations/famous people I followed. In just the span of that one hour, I experienced information overload in all kinds of areas regarding my friend’s experiences of life and learned that: 

• My friend Mary got a haircut three months ago, and just now decided to upload a selfie notifying all her followers of the delayed news. 
• Mason Cru does a lot of social justice outreach, like helping enslaved kids in Ghana and packing food for those in the Middle East. 
• My Burmese friend from Minnesota is a senior in high school this year. 
• The song “F You I Love You” is a nice bop (thanks to the friend who posted a screenshot of the song’s Spotify track image on their story!). 
• A guy named Chris Chan has thousands of views for a video of himself taking sample foods multiple times with a different outfit each time. 
• My freshman cousin doesn’t really have correct grammar (he captioned his recent picture, “[M]y attempt in trying to look like those asian instagram boys” instead of saying “my attempt AT”)… what’s new. 
• A friend in Florida heard loud thunder from inside the house, and her shower turned cold subsequently thereafter. 
• My Thai friend from George Mason lost her keys! Sad face. 
• A high school classmate who was in Chamber Orchestra with me is now a college senior.
• A friend I met at Junior District Orchestra during my high school years has been married for one month now(?!) and she got a dog recently. 
• Oh Wonder, one of my favorite duos, is coming out with a new album soon.
• Lastly, but most interesting- Fox 46 Charlotte news anchor Nick Kosir was featured in a cameo for Lil Nas at the VMAs! 

While this was the information I gathered in my one-hour scrolling through Instagram and tapping through Instagram stories of the people I follow, I was able to step back in nature this weekend when I attended my church’s annual retreat to Camp Fraser, located near Great Falls. There, for at least one hour without my phone in my hands, I learned that: 

• Trees are super tall. They can stay standing even when they are broken and crooked, or slouching in all kinds of directions. 
• The chirping of crickets, or whatever insects that are up in the trees, can be very noisy if paid attention to. Otherwise, your mind can seem to tune them out unconsciously as they fade into the background. 
• Different types of trees can be growing right next to each other. 
• Leaves start falling in late August. A few trees can even be seen completely bare as early as this time of the year. 
• Finally, trees provide lots of shade and keep us cool- I didn’t realize how much of a difference this made for the amount of heat and sunlight received when living in the suburbs/city versus being in the woods. 

After analyzing what I picked up from the two contrasting modes of learning, I have come to conclude that there is so much more to gain in terms of spirituality and peacefulness when in nature, as opposed to what little is offered by social media in the rushing feeling endorsed by the social pressures and unnecessary demands for attention. I noticed that my perception of time also changed dramatically when I was in nature compared to when I was on Instagram. Due to the countless number of posts that can appear in one’s timeline within a single day, time becomes extremely condensed especially when having to scroll through each and every photo that appears so that one can double-tap to give likes, or simply catch up on what one’s peers have been up to. 

While this facade of busy-ness built up by social media hinders individuals from truly enjoying the moment, I found that I was living more in the present and was increasingly aware of myself and my surroundings when outside in nature. Hence, being more connected to reality through nature yielded better quality results for my happiness and conscientiousness of others when I went away to the woods this weekend to literally get a breath of fresh air. Although I gained more social information on Instagram than I did when I was out in nature, less became more as I learned that more did not always mean better.

Xiaoyi

Today is Labor Day so I have an extra day off of this week, it made me feel much better and more relieved especially when it’s Monday. I went for a walk in my neighborhood after breakfast to digest better, because I ate I little bit too much due to my happiness. I didn’t bring my phone so I could enjoy the fresh air in the morning, infact I didn’t bring anything except my keys, because I knew that I wasn’t going to need them for a walk. My neighborhood is so close to the campus, like just across the street. It’s peaceful and beautiful in this late summer / early fall season. I thought there aren’t going to be so many people around because it’s holidays and people all want to relax by sleeping in. But when I reached out Braddock road while randomly thinking, I realized that there are still many people out driving as many as usual, and somehow even more. I thought maybe people would like to take the opportunity to go outside and have fun like a picnic or going to the mall. The weather was very good in the morning, it’s not so hot and the sunshine was not so strong back then. Later in the afternoon it’s so hot under the sunlight and even rained at dinner time.

And after my lunch, I was watching old downloaded tv shows on my computer, I guess that might be counted as watching tv. I like watching crime shows, especially those fast-styled ones with one case in every episode. Rizzoli and Isles is one of my favorite shows that tells stories with human natures in many ways but mainly in humor and still make me think, also the cases are not horrible which would keep me up at night. This episode I was watching is about digging wells and making dirty money out of it. A BCU graduate student in earth science, being a vegan and use cruelty free things, got murdered because she found out that the yoga master she’s been following with has secretly bought a big number acres by using the non-profit name of his yoga lessons. And he was crashing oil out of shale that contaminated one of the seven lakes in Boston. This student only died because she found out and stole some of the shale and water sample from the yoga master, so that yogi killed her to shut her mouth down. 

I was just relaxing and enjoying my day off, but from my experience today I could see that people are all relying on high level techniques like driving a car, only few would choose to walk or using cruelty free stuff even if they knew that those can be less harmful to the earth. The victim in the tv shows is doing that because she loves the Earth and earth science. But I think all people should be considering doing it. The start could be very simple, just try to drive less and buy things from stores that are together or close to each other, or try to use natural stuff instead of chemical compounds. It’s not only for the public or our next generations which some people do not care at all. It’s also for everyone that could benefit from avoiding heavy traffic and price raising of rarity. 

Daniel Frank

Sun reflecting off a spider web. The cacophony of bugs chirping. The crunch of gravel. A dark orange dirt mound, and a bright orange leaf that is dead on the other side. The long shadows on trees and the different colors and textures. A downed tree that supports its own mini ecosystem. Leafy plants on the edge of the river bank of Lake Accotink mirroring the ripples in the water from every motion. The scurrying of a blue salamander, a chipmunk zooming by. Yet even this nature haven is not void of human influence. The mark of the human-altered landscape can be seen all around. Muck on a discarded Starbucks cup, rusting metal beams and tree carvings everywhere. And in all of it, the delicate balance of humans and nature: leafy vines intertwining through a guardrail, and dead leaves on top of live leaves. Every action humans’ make directly impact the natural world.

Meanwhile, the world of digital media has just as diverse a landscape, if not more so. Tweets about bracing for the imminent Hurricane Dorian cover twitter. Trending topics like “Brian Kelly” and “Louisville” revolve around the lone college football game of Monday night, Louisville and Notre Dame. Other departments of Twitter have led to trending hashtags like “#ThingsWeShouldCancel” and “#UnwrittenDormRules.” I have an email waiting for me in my inbox from LinkedIn informing me that I have appeared in one search this week. Brilliant. Meanwhile, my Facebook feed is filled with photos of my friends’ various Labor Day excursions, mixed in with a healthy assortment of memes from The Office. Also making its way into my attention are discussion posts from ZOOKreepers, a Facebook group for animal care keepers, volunteers and trainers. A post near the top calls for enrichment ideas for tawny frogmouths, while another shows a video of a baby tapir just learning to swim.

The diverse nature of the un-natural world draws us in, and holds our attention in a way that, for most, the natural world fails to do so. It is very easy to take notes while scrolling through a Twitter feed or a Facebook group. Headlines jump out to grab your attention, featured images athletically chosen to attract your eye. The very design of social media is created in such a way that it not only draws you in but holds your attention for an indeterminate amount of time. Observing the natural world takes a greater eye for detail and a lot more patience. Important pieces of information aren’t going to come to you, you have to go to it. You have to crouch down to ground level to get a look at that interesting-looking bug or leafy plant. Perhaps that is the beauty of nature: it is accessible to everyone, yet it feels deeply personal to share in a unique experience of physically being there in that moment in a way that one could never feel from a computer screen.

My day is coming to an end. I sit down in my living room in front of the tv where my parents are watching CNN. As I watch for about 20 minutes, the drama of the day’s news (or at least the dramatized version they put out) enters my eyes and ears. I then decide to get up and go over to my xbox. I turn it on and play Fifa 19 for another 20 minutes or so. After I win my match (obviously), I go to bed for the night. Before falling asleep however, I pick up my phone and watch a bit of youtube for another 20 minutes. Once I see it’s getting late and I need to go to sleep, I turn off my phone, put it on my nightstand, and turn over and fall asleep. That last hour was spent in receiving information through screens of different types, with lights, sounds, and information entering my eyes and ears, to be stored in my brain.

The next day, I go on a road trip with my family. I’m in northern Washington state, and as we drive through a remote stretch of forest and mountain, the lack of service on my phone is really a blessing. I look outside for long periods and admire the largely untouched nature. We stop at a viewpoint on the roadside overlooking the edge of the mountain and the valley beneath. I stand there for a while simply gazing at my surroundings. Vast expanses of trees lie before me, as well as a blue sky with a few white clouds in it. The thin road winds through the scenery beneath. This was what the world was meant to look like when it was created, I think to myself.

A few days later, as I sit down to write about my two segments of time spent in two environments, one manmade and the other natural, I notice the difference is stark. For one, my time spent in front of screens was dark, with light coming only from a few artificial lights and from the screens, while my time outside was well lit by the sun. Clearly this is not always the case in these two situations, but it frequently is. In addition, my time spent in front of screens was relaxing in a way, but not entirely because I had information thrown at me the entire time. The news, the game, and whatever I watched on youtube all required me to pay attention, receive, and understand the data coming at me, and in the case of the game, act according to what I was seeing and hearing. Also, everything I was seeing through the screens was not real in front of my face. It was either a broadcast of an event in another place or a simulation of an event that was not real. By contrast, my time outside on the mountainside was much calmer. I was still receiving information (the views I was seeing), but I had to work much less to receive it. Also what I was seeing was completely real and not virtual. Time spent in front of screens of various kinds can be useful and relaxing, but we should spend more of our time in front of another view, nature. We should not ignore what it has to offer our senses.

Anna Wood

Media is a product of the 21^st century that I have never truly grasped a unanimous understanding of. Oftentimes my generation (millennial/Gen Z) utilizes it for validation. I observed this from an hour of use on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. I’d be a hypocrite if I said I don’t gain a slight ego boost when I get the notification that someone liked my post. It’s flattering in an age where people scroll aimlessly through their phones, avoiding conversation, to get some sort of assurance they are paying attention to you. That being said, I noticed in my hour of media several different ways individuals utilize it. One of the most common was the candid photo with an aesthetically pleasing background. A majority of these individuals had many likes, followers, and comments feeding into the validation portion I mentioned above. Another common trend I noticed was posting about achievements or suffering; I question why you would be so transparent about their personal struggles online. I suppose this can provide a sense of empathy within the viewer. A majority of the post I saw were related to surfing, diving, and marine conservation; my feed is obviously subjective to my own interests. I enjoyed living vicariously through my old surf team in Costa Rica as I was staring at a screen in my room. It was mood enhancing until I logged out and I realized what I was viewing was not my current reality.

I’ve always been one to spend time in nature. This is evident though my opinion of social media. I prefer to be unconfined, in a place that is ever changing. I grew up in the suburbs of D.C and moved to a beach house in southern Virginia for high school. I would spend a majority my days after school surfing, swimming, and walking coastal trails. Now that I’m back in school I don’t have that outlet; it’s hard to find somewhere in Northern Virginia that is truly “outside”. I found a large man-made lake (Lake Royal) near my apartment and took some time to venture out around It. I felt at ease throughout the duration of my time there. A slight breeze and some familiar waterfowl wading in the banks of the lake drew me back to my home. I walked a trail through a densely wooded forest taking in all the sights and sounds. My mind was blank for all two miles of my stroll. I was significantly more alert and aware of my surroundings. Once I got back in my car I felt the immediate urge to go back into nature. I can firmly state that I enjoyed this significantly more than my hour of screen time.

In these two hours I tried to focus on how the different environments impact my physical and mental state. Scrolling aimlessly through my phone and replying to notifications kept me on edge anxiously awaiting a response. Being in nature took that cultivating pressure to stay attached to a screen away. It’s not groundbreaking, at least to me, that stepping away from media put my mind at ease. This reminded me how important it is to dedicate time each week to nature. I took a distinct mental note of something I noticed in both environments: The media contained a lot about nature, being outside, the importance of conserving the environment. However, when out in nature you can see the hypocrisy that lies within this; litter, water pollution, invasive species. I observed all of this during my hour in nature and it made me ponder the integrity of individuals on social media. I encourage you to take a step away from what you preach online and apply it in your life off screen. Not only would you greatly benefit from these actions but the health of the environment would too. 

 I had Friday off for the first time in a while. No school and no work meant a day for nature. I started my trek towards Sky Meadows state park which is about a thirty-minute drive at around 10 am. I packed lightly for it is more of leisurely walk with some light elevation gains depending on the trails you pick. I got there, payed for my pass, and walked along the sky meadows loop trail. There were multiple cars parked along the visitor center but on the trail, I only saw one or two people pass me by. The trail connected to many other trails which I ventured on. The time spent under the trees and hearing nothing, but nature left me with a feeling of pure bliss. The only type of bliss one can contains when everything is at peace around them and that’s exactly where I was. I walked along overgrown parts, muddy parts, and well-maintained parts but everything felt like a straight walk. Nothing seemed to bother me or make me second guess myself. I was just breathing in the fresh air and taking nature in without any disruption. The feeling of isolation helped as well, for it was only me walking through these pastures, fields, and forests. 

     On Saturday I worked at 9 in the morning until around 2. I had plans to go to a concert later, so I decided to take a quick nap after work. Before the nap, I went on my phone and began my journey through the meadows of the Internet. First, I always put in my headphones and put Spotify on. In anticipation of the concert, I began listening to the opener band which I didn’t know much about. Decided I enjoyed them enough to keep listening and then went on to explore Reddit. Reddit in my opinion is a great way to kill time and keep yourself entertained. I browsed the front page which included funny videos about dogs/cats, politics, and random people doing random stuff. After about thirty minutes of this, I transitioned into the YouTube rabbit hole. I always like to know what I am getting myself into before concerts, so I spent about 20 minutes watching videos of King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard live in anticipation for the concert. This got me very excited and eager for my upcoming night. During the last 10 minutes before my nap, I browsed all my social media which include Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Like all the other times when I browse social media, I learned nothing of importance beside some funny memes and what people I don’t talk to anymore are doing with their lives. I closed my eyes and went to sleep. 

The experiences I had in those two “trips” left me with two totally completely different mindsets. The day where I walked through Sky Meadows State park was a day which left me feeling almost euphoric. I get rather stressed out in my day to day, but nature always takes away my worries. Nature to me is a canvas painted with innocence and raw beauty which is so hard to come by in daily life. Everything is plagued with some hidden intention but with nature, you are seeing what you see. The trees, the animals, the plants, and isolation from everything leave me with such a feeling of content and wholesomeness. It’s very hard to capture in words. With the hour spent on the Internet, my mind always feels muddled with all the useless information I just received. I feel like it’s mostly social media but I like to keep up with my friends and acquaintances I do not really speak to that often anymore so I continue to use them even though it would probably be healthier to just delete them. I also really love music, so listening to music always puts me at ease. That is one of the biggest things I took away was how much music plays apart with my mindset. All my activities involve me listening to music one way or another. Depending on my mood or activity, I will listen to different artists and genres. It really helps me find ease within the busyness of school and work which is really important for a well-maintained mental state. Finally, I learned the kind of situation I was getting myself into before the concert, so I knew how it was going to be. This made the concert more fun and enjoyable because I knew the type of energy that the concert was going to be, so I was more mentally prepared. 

Carla Macuri-Cruzado

As Blue (my dog) and I started to watch TV and eat an orange, we both settled into watching Harry Potter. It’s actually an hour into the movie and Harry is in the house of his parents where they died. I’m thinking of how sad it is for Harry to go and relive a moment where his parents died to protect him. “This is where he murdered them,” he said to Hermonie, my heart broke when he said that. There come Bethalda Backshaw, a close friend of the Dumboldor was there and invited them into her house. The moment Harry and Hermione went into a creepy house with a creepy lady, I knew something bad would happen. And something did because Bethalda turned into a snake, which I’m guessing is Naguine, trying to kill Harry. I got bored, as I was cruising the channels on Youtube TV, I found Dirty Dancing which I hate by the way. That movie never called my attention so I kept going found FX, Thor Dark World was playing but a dunking donut commercial was playing. Next to that Butterfinger commercial which in my opinion is really creepy. I moved on to FXm, where Kubo was playing, which I happen to love. It was the moment where his grandfather came to him in a dream. As he woke, his mother which is a monkey and his father the battle was there too. However, Kubo doesn’t know that the battle is his father and he has lost all his memory. Went back to watching Harry on SYFY, to find Harry following a deer into the forest. Found the sword of GRinfindor to use it to destroy the necklace which put up a fight. I always found interesting how Harry can speak to snakes, always wondered how that would feel like or to just even see. Nine commercials came on Allstate, Tacobell, eharmony, Hulu, Behr(paint), Pizza Hut, Grand Cannon University, 4imprint, and Credit Karma. Out of all of them, I think the one that matters the most to me was Credit Karma. As a way to improve your credit score that’s the only commercial that stood out for me. There went my hour watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1.

Blue and I went for a trip to the nearest trail around my neighborhood, when we got there it was closed due to flooding. So Blue and I went to find the closest ice cream shop which was at least half an hour walk. Blue and I saw barely any trees as we walked just multiple apartment complex and cars going by. It was actually quite scary at times seeing how many cars had gone by and no one was walking to places even if it was close by. And when we did see trees it was near bus stops which no one was there. It got me thinking of the days I used to take the bus to school and had to wake up early. At that moment I felt guilty because now I drive to school and I don’t carpool with other students. As Blue and I kept walking we had to cross some streets and some cars were anxious for us to get to the other side of the street for them to make a right turn. I was laughing because I do that sometimes when I want to go fast and get home. Blue and I got our ice cream, she ate the majority of my vanilla ice cream. As we went back home, we saw fewer cars come and families walking to their house with groceries. I was surprised to see people out at all which made me a bit happy. We pasted a playground full of kids and their mothers and fathers. Made me remember of family time when I was a child back in Peru and everything was so green. As Blue and I got closer to home we found other dog parents, Blue started to play and get to know other dogs. I started talking with the lady about her dog, age and breed which is what all dog parents start with. We kept going and I started to notice how much green there is around me and new places I can take Blue for walks. She loved going on our long walk and so did I, I had been a while since Blue and I had so much fun.

 I came to the realization that the majority of people today drive everywhere and don’t actually appreciate a nice long walk to their nearest store or anywhere. I got to enjoy a nice long walk with my dog eating ice cream and not worrying about who could be texting me. All I cared about was Blue and how much she enjoyed herself walking and playing with other dogs for a bit. It also made me aware of the fact that I should take more initiative to make my community greener and less populated with trash all over the sidewalks and streets. To get people to walk or bike more instead of using their cars everywhere. I feel that people sometimes rather stay in front of a screen and let time pass by them instead of going out and appreciate how beautiful life can be. I wish we could have more trees and flowers then buildings to see how much better life would be like. We need to appreciate what mother nature has given us and to protect it for future generations. 

Through the hour of enjoying dramatic television as we all do, I saw Judge Judy tearing into a court case for a custody hearing from two parents. Both these parents continually sling insults at one another without realizing how they demine their own character. D.C.’s Fox 5 reports destroyed American Flags and person stabbed this morning outside their home. Rhino flips safari vehicle with the zookeeper inside, the keeper survived the violent attack. “Oh yes do not forget your umbrellas we are expecting rain the next few days Northern Virginians”, says Fox 5 meteorologist. NBC Sports Washington sports talk deliberates on the fate of Auburn head football coach. “He has been struggling for too long and needs to win the SEC West, Freshman Quarterback or not.”, otherwise they will let him go after this season. Don’t trust just any cleaner, trust CLR it’s safe and cleans better than other brands. It also received a safety stamp from the EPA so it’s better for your family. How much of this information is vital to what is truly happening in America? At most the pertinent information was the stabbing in D.C. and destruction of American Flags. Showing the hate that is flowing inside of some Americans. As Bill McKibben said, “This is truly the age of mis-information.” So many people live with their nose in social media or a TV and do not take the time to look up into what is truly happening. People hardly know how to communicate face to face anymore. This is due to the over abundant use of technology like cell phones texting and instant messaging on social media. What happened to the days of calling an old friend to catch up? Where are the days of meeting someone in person and connecting instead of using tinder, an online dating application?

As I sit out in the woods surrounding Signal Hill Park, I attempt to take in all nature has to offer. I ask myself if trees can communicate. If so, can they with us? As I watch nature, I see geese swimming in a calm pond seemingly in conversation with one another. Two squirrels chase one another up and around trees as if playing tag. A beautiful orange butterfly lands on the ground next to me and as soon as it lands it is gone. As is the way with the pleasure we receive from watching TV or social media. Pleasure in the moment but nothing once it is over. We fill ourselves with temporary love and pleasure when nature can truly give you a lasting fulfillment in your heart that you will never forget. I find knowledge and deep thought when in nature. I find my soul. Many people talk of church as a building when it should be the body of the people assembled as the religious text clearly dictates. Church is where worship and spiritual enlightenment occurs. I see why nature and her aspects are thought of as gods and goddesses by our ancestors and even many people still today. Nature is my church based off this new era definition of a church. Nature is magical, where a life ends, another begins. Mother Nature works in perfect unison from the smallest roots to the biggest animals. All of nature relies on one another and works together to make this beautiful world. This is what we as humans should do. We should all work as one in unison to make the world a better place for all life not just humankind. We are but animals that are highly evolved and can operate on a global scale changing the world. However, it seems the more we focus on these media outlets the more we as humankind become disconnected from what makes us so special.  

We’re a destructive force as humans. We not only destroy ourselves but also mother nature. She is the one that gave us life and supports all our life. Yet we treat her with utter disrespect. This “Information Age” is not as amazing as most would have you believe. These tools such as TV, social media, even news outlets, and many more are used to draw you in and addict you to their short fading pleasures like a bad drug. You become dependent on these aspects in life and sacrifice time in nature, in self exploration, in deep thought, and face to face time with others, all in order to get your fix of what is happening on Jersey Shore this week. As a society we have become more dependent on these “information sources” which, in turn, has led us to become dull and disconnected to what is truly happening in the world. I encourage everyone to not get drawn into this lethargic and mundane way of life. Instead, take a step away from this distraction, lose yourself in nature and use it to free your mind and spirit. Ask questions about what you are told and what you see. Otherwise, how can you know the truth? Explore all these possibilities with those around you. Communicate with other people and tap into their knowledge as well as question their knowledge. You cannot simply take these sources at their word or even me for that matter. We all have some bias and some agenda set ahead when we reach out to others. Take it upon yourself to determine what is right, what is true and what should be done. Do not forget that we are mother nature’s creation and our existence without her would be futile, even void of expression and wonder.