This is an ode...

Although there are many people in the world that take our earth for granted, I can not say that I know of anyone who does not like our world. There are just too many natural beauties and adventures that our world gives us to not love it. A combination of the two, beauty and adventure, would be our national parks. It honestly doesn't get more bare than that; that is the world we live on, the natural state, what we were all created from. I think that Americans are blessed to have as many national parks as we do and places of untouched nature, that is preserved and protected. I have a strong feeling that if that land was not protected, it would have been torn down and dammed up by now; much like many other parts of our nation and especially parts of the world that don't have protection laws for the land.
What is sad, is that I have learned of land in parts of the world, like Indonesia, where the land is protected, and even sacred to some tribes, yet logging companies are still tearing it down, using nonsense reasons for their actions. The tribes are supposed to be reimbursed for their trees with amounts around 300 loincloths and are receiving, at most, around 50. It sickens me to think that some people live in these natural areas, and survive off the trees and land, and large companies still find it okay to tear it down and take advantage of the language barrier and not knowing the tribes customs, in order to make more money. If there were not laws and consequences for bad actions in America, I feel the same thing would occur on our lands. It scares me to think that this is what our world has come to; fighting over land in order to tear it down and kill ecosystems so we can make a profit.
On the positive side, In America, we are able to visit our preserved lands and feel our breath taken away, when we realize how small we really are in our enormous world. This is something I have yet to experience, but, I know, just by pictures and movies I have seen, that this is the least of what I would experience. I can't wait to go on a road trip, especially out west, and see all the sites there is to see, even including sunsets with the Rocky Mountains glowing in the distance. My heart speeds up and I get excited just thinking about it!
The freedoms that us, as Americans, enjoy are enormous and cover every single part of our life, but to me, one of the most important freedoms is our freedom to travel. It gives us the whole world for opportunities of places to go and allows us to really follow and pursue our own individual personal likes and loves. We are able to experience anything in the world, learn first hand, customs of another culture or religion and, as I would take my time and do, just appreciate the beauty and landscape of the different or foreign land. I know that national parks were created to preserve the land, but, I also think that if we didn't have the freedoms and the democratic government that we do, we wouldn't be able to appreciate the land for what it is. So, in a way this blog is an ode to our founding fathers for giving us rights and freedoms, and to America's national parks. These are two things that should never be forgotten, and we should thank God everyday for them.

Love Your Family.

I am someone who really enjoys meditating. I do it on a regular basis, at least 3 times a week. I have practiced many types of meditation including, Mindfulness meditation, Lovingkindness meditation, Insight meditation, Chakras meditation and the basic form of meditation, called Tonglen. They all have certain aspects that they focus on, all dealing with yourself, but for instance, in Lovingkindness meditation, one practices opening his or her heart to the pain of all beings and wishing them well. As one slowly breathes in and out, thoughts such as, "May you be free of suffering.", "May you be happy.", "May you love and be loved.", "May you find the healing that you seek.", and "May you find peace." are supposed to be said, allowing your heart to connect. After you complete this part, then you are supposed to move to yourself and be aware that you have felt pain, and ache and suffering and begin the whole meditation all over, but this time repeating everything in terms of yourself. "May I be free of suffering.", "May I be happy.", "May I love and be loved.", "May I find the healing that I seek.", and "May I find peace.". These practices can be so difficult and hard to really grasp, especially when you are first learning. That is why I have come to love, what is called, Walking meditation. 
I really enjoy the walking meditation. I am a conscious walker, I often watch my surroundings, from my mom telling me since I was a little kid, to always be aware of what is around me, but also because I like to see other living things that surround me. I honestly glow with happiness when I look outside and am able to walk back to the dorms and breathe in fresh air. I do it often, walk with my head turning every which way, looking up high at the squirrels in the branches, looking in front of me at the other seemingly unknowing students rushing to class, looking at my feet as they crunch the red and gold leaves that just floated to the ground. I am always seeing new things, a tree I didn't realize was the size of a three story building, a chipmunk that has made it's home beneath the dorm steps. It is almost startling, sometimes, when I realize that I just noticed something like that three story tree for the first time, when it is at least 100 times my size and has resided where it is, since before our university was even created. And all it takes to see the tree, or anything else for that matter, is a pair of wandering eyes, conscious wandering eyes; but once this is recognized, the possibilities of discovery are endless. Once I noticed the freedom I had when looking around me, I took full advantage of it. I now find myself meditating as I walk to and from class. I stay present, in the moment, breathing in rich air, and exhaling from the deepest parts of my lungs. Each morning I am excited about what I will find outside of our dorm doors, anything is possible. The trips to and from class are definitely the best. They give just enough time to get in the moment and see what God blessed our Earth with. Especially after meditation, I feel reborn and have no worries. I feel like I'm looking through a new set of eyes. Everything seems so new and fresh and vibrant, even on a rainy day. I begin to crack a smile as I step into my new world, the ground feels inviting and the sky is my limit. I feel rejuvenated and the earth and nature around me also takes on that feeling. Meditation is my outlet and it lets me appreciate where I live and what I live with. I recently began thinking of nature as part of my family and I am so grateful that I have the conscience and open mind to see it as it is, and see all the beauty and inspiration that it brings to my life. 

There Are Fruits and Veggies...and Then There Are Fruits and Veggies!

The Farmers' Market now has a brand new meaning to me. I have so much respect and admiration for the hardworking families, that take the time and energy to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for others to enjoy. The career of a farmer is so much harder than I ever realized and after our class trip to the Farmers' Market, I now have compassion for them.
A group of three of us moved along the four different stands that were selling on that Tuesday morning, and we were able to converse with a couple of the sellers. I personally took the time to stand back and watch the sellers lay out their food and talk to their buyers with friendly smiles and a positive attitude. I have to say that the atmosphere of the market was one of my favorite aspects to the trip. The Farmers Market felt nothing like a trip to the grocery store; there was fresh air, sun shining down on the food, making the colors pop, and the food itself looked so much more appetizing. The tomatoes were huge, and the sweet potatoes and turnips still had the majority of their dirt stuck to the skin and it still felt better than grabbing a cucumber that had been sprayed with wax at a grocery store.
Not only was I enjoying my time that I was spending at the market, but as I watched the buyers, I found a little girl and her mom and realized that there was learning that was taking place right in front of my eyes. It made me fill up with happiness, because as we have been discussing in class, too many kids can't even tell you where a carrot comes from. The mom of this little girl asked what kind of fruit she wanted for lunch, and the little girl grabbed this huge cauliflower that filled her arms. Her mom looked at her and laughed, took back the head of cauliflower and told the little girl that that was a veggie and pointed out the fruits she could pick from. The little girl probably doesn't even remember this happening, if you asked her today, but I can say that she will probably remember that cauliflower is a vegetable, and with the knowledge that her mom is exposing her to, the girl will be able to make smarter and healthier decisions in her future.

I just could not get over the vivid colors of all the fruits and vegetables. I walked up to a stand and took a  picture of my friends, who made up my group, as they looked at all the appetizing veggies. Then something caught my eye. I looked down, and these mini multi-colored peppers were screaming for attention. Zooming in, I took a picture of these stunning peppers, and I told one of the farmers behind the stand how beautiful I thought they were! She was actually picking leaves off a batch of these peppers, as she told me how she mixed them with red roses last week for Sweetest Day. This honestly blew my mind! I would have never thought to mix such a lively and fiesta-like vegetable, such as a mini pepper, with the flower of romance. At the same time, I could imagine how stunning the bouquet must have been; I wished I could receive such a unique gift as that.

My experience at the Farmers Market was nothing but a blast. I learned so much from the farmers and producers that were selling on that beautiful Tuesday morning. I plan to bring my family to the Farmers Market when they come to visit me, so we can share a fun experience together!

When the First is Forgotten

There are some things in life that I truly feel are taken advantage of. The sheer beauty of nature and what humans have created with their hands, happen to be two of these "things" that just a handful of people still appreciate. On Wednesday October 20, 2010 I took a trip to East Campus with another class that I am enrolled in. This was an eye opening experience, because I knew our university was established in 1903, but, I had never questioned where all of our old original buildings were.
One of the first buildings that I came across on my way to the main campus is a tiny little building that is labeled with a sign that says "The Little Auditorium". It is probably one of the cutest buildings I have seen on campus, and it began my awareness of how WMU has grown to the university we now love. We entered the main East Campus from back, this gave my class and I the chance to look at the infirmary building. The school had a working medical staff and students were able to spend the night in a hospital-like setting right on campus. Our guide also pointed out the women's and men's dorms before we made our way into the main building. She led us through the old hallways, where paint was peeling and old classroom doors were locked; the teachers assistant for my class and I, looked inside all the rooms as we passed, and I could only imagine what classes were held there; the history that the small broken rooms held was almost overwhelming.
We reached our destination when we sat down in the 70's inspired, round back, plastic chairs in the original gymnasium, that, the East Campus now uses as the site for all archives. Our guide began passing around articles and pictures, one of which was an all girls physical education class that was held in the very gym we were in!! Half hour later, we trickled back through the halls and outside to view the front of the main building. It was stunning, with pillars at least 30 feet tall and a grand staircase leading up to the doors; my eyes must have been bugging out of my head! I had so much respect for the men that built our first part of our campus over 100 years ago.
As we got closer to the front entrance, my admiration turned to disgust as I began seeing all the graffiti that students of WMU have done on these pillars and windows of our main building. I looked at a drawing that stood out because of the shocking red color it was drawn in and, realized from the marked date, that, it had been drawn just 2 days previous. The guide then drew our attention in to show us that our first president of the school had actually been placed in the building, and a plaque to the left of the entrance, signified his presence there. That too, had graffiti all over it and my stomach dropped at the thought of destroying another's grave like that. When a few other students and I asked why the building is under such distress, the guide explained that there isn't enough money for upkeep for East Campus, so, the buildings are just withering away until there is nothing left. This made me want to cry; how can a whole university not care for what our university began from? If not for the buildings, I would think that students, professors, alumni and the community would want to preserve East Campus for the beautiful views it has to offer. From those main steps, I was able to look out over the whole area; trees cover the hill that the campus is built on top of, and on this october day, I saw a sight that I can't explain, you would have to experience the scene for yourself...too beautiful for words. As I looked out onto the breathtaking view, I turned around and realized that almost all of my classmates were more interested in reading the graffiti.
Since my trip to East Campus, I have joined the group, Students for East Campus, and I am going to try and play an active roll in the preservation of East Campus. Tell all you know about this sad and upsetting situation and if you ever get the chance, make your way over to the first part of our university, and really experience the beauty of the grand buildings and exquisite views of Kalamazoo.