Where I Find Peace
By Michael Le
The place I chose to pay close attention to over the next 10 weeks is a trail that I have been visiting for years. I find myself here at times when my head is clouded with stress and the loud noises of society. This trail is connected to different parks around the area, and it acts as a place where many individuals can come to enjoy the peace and quiet. There's also a body of water at this specific part of the trail, and I love to come here often to watch the sunset reflect off its surface. People visit here to walk their dogs, run, read, or sit on the benches with their family and friends. When the bench near the water was unoccupied, I sat there and listened to some of my favorite songs and watch the sun slowly set. In that moment, the world felt quiet. It was like there wasn't a single worry in my life, no notifications, no social media, no people shouting, no loud noises. Just me and nature.
Entry #1
When I walked around this trail, I liked to stop and notice the subtle hints of nature taking over the place. Cracks on the concrete grow as the seasons rotate. Each summer the more cracks appear and from the hard concrete grow plants of every kind, even those that produce flowers. It continues to amaze me that no matter how much the human species tries to suppress and contain nature, the natural world will forever be more powerful. While writing my entry there, I recalled a book I read in high school called " A World Without Us," which discussed how if we were to disappear all at once one day, Mother Nature would surely take back everything we've taken. The world would return to what it was meant to be. That idea is beautiful to me.
Wild geese and ducks come here during the warm seasons to raise their offspring. It's as natural as it could get in a place where human infrastructure is everywhere we look. While I sat there watching these animals live their lives, it helped take some of my worries away. I wondered if the geese ever thought about what the ducks thought of them. Do they determine each other's worth based on the numbers of feathers each bird had? They helped me feel grounded, and I thought about how life is not all about following a pattern, such as getting good grades in school and then finding a good job, and maybe starting a family after. I thought about how there's so much more to life, and so many special things and places out there. I also wondered if the geese and ducks ever felt trapped in the lives they live. Do they ever get tired of being in the same pond? Or do they feel free because they lack what makes us human beings? This place has always helped remind me of the profound appreciation I have for nature. It's where I feel most curious and connected to the natural world, rather than seeing myself as a human being separate from it. I'm excited to record all the experiences I will get from this place for the next 10 weeks, and the things that I will learn from this project.