The Happy Trail
Sometimes people have a certain place to go to think about things. There are people that associate certain places with negative thoughts or feelings. I believe that people should have places to go that make them happy. Even though, there always seem to be places that make us cry and give us a feeling of great depression. Places in nature are very important to people and their ability to relax, to look at the beautiful scenery, and to have peaceful memories of the happier moments of their lives. I try to always associate nature with positive feelings and thoughts, and if it works for me I think everyone should try it. The truth is, I picture nature representing beauty, happiness, and memories.
Nature is a very beautiful thing in this world. Even at times when it seems as if nothing is beautiful. Whenever I go to the Mines of Spain Nature Preserve, in Dubuque, I think of my friend Karl. Walking on the trails reminds me of all the bugs that used to bother us as we journeyed to our special cliff. He used to jump up and down, waving his hands in the air as if his actions were going to make the bugs disappear. Of course the bugs were still there, and I had my laughs for the day! We would walk together on the trail slowly, and watch all the wilderness around us. There are so many trees and bushes, and during the fall there are the greatest colors of leaves imaginable. Occasionally we would see and hear an animal or two climbing the trees of crossing our path ahead. There are a few streams along this path. The water runs slowly and smoothly, even when in runs over the stones that are in the stream. Karl used to jump in and get both of us wet. It didn't matter how mad I got, because after I would l...
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...ming weekend, and at times have thought of way to resolve a fight with a loved one. The scenery and quietness of the cliff would relax just about anyone. Maybe you, my reader, should find a place like this to go to, if you don't have one already.
When I climb the trail leading to my favorite place in nature, I am not only concentrating, but also I think o things such as what I will be doing the next day or week. In some cases I even think of what lies in my future. When I am angry with someone, I go there to try to become a rational thinker, and to try to see the other person's point of view. Once I am up on the cliff, I sit down and let the sun hit me. I take deep breathes and separate my thoughts from my feelings in my mind. It is still very quiet, and now I can hear my breathing in slow, soft rhythms and think about life, death, and happiness.
Each person has a place that calls to them, a house, plot of land, town, a place that one can call home. It fundamentally changes a person, becoming a part of who they are. The old summer cabins, the bedroom that was always comfortable, the library that always had a good book ready. The places that inspire a sense of nostalgic happiness, a place where nothing can go wrong.
The nature in which we live is truly beautiful and something to preserve and treasure. When the Europeans first came to North America, they were immediately in love with the views they encountered. They were interested in wanting to know more about the land, the animals that peeked around, and the people who called it home. Artists such as, John White had heard the tales of what Christopher Columbus had described during his time in North America, which led to them wanting to make their own discoveries (Pohl 140). Everyone had their own opinions and views of the world, but artists were able to capture the natural images and the feeling they had through their paintings (Pohl 140).
Between 1840 and 1950, over fifty-three thousand people travelled the Oregon Trail. Native American exposure to diseases such as smallpox and diphtheria decimated the tribes, and that along with the encroachment of settlers on tribal lands, was the cause of much strife between Native Americans and the incoming Europeans. The Land Donation Law, a government land giveaway allotting three-hindred twenty acres to white males and six-hundred forty to married white couples, gave impetus to the western expansion and the American idea of "Manifest destiny." This promotion of migration and families also allowed America to strentghen its hold on Oregon, in the interests of displacing British claims.
At other times, nature can be a source of solace for those who have suffered. Following the death of Gladys and Kate, Grainier looks to the horizon to seek comfort from his crushing loss. “All his life Robert Grainier would remember vividly the burned valley at sundown, the most dream-like business he’d ever witnessed waking – the brilliant pastels of the last light overhead, some clouds...
As a Chinese international student in Western Michigan University, it is a great opportunity for me to give the presentation to talk about the music – the Beijing Opera, which comes from my own country. The Beijing Opera has existed for over 200 years. It is widely regarded as the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It is known as one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei province. Beijing Opera got its two main melodies, Xi Pi and Er Huang, from Anhui and Hubei operas. It then absorbed music and arias from other operas and musical arts in China. However, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), Beijing Opera suffered along with other kinds of operas in China. All the traditional pieces reflecting the Old Societies were banned from performance. The famous Eight Model Plays, featuring the communist activities during the anti-Japanese war and the civil war with the Nationalists, as well as the class struggles after the founding of the People's Republic. In this presentation, I am going to talk about the features of both traditional and revolutionary Beijing Opera, and also some main differences between traditional and revolutionary opera.
Jim is an innocent young man, living on the coast of Queensland. In this peaceful town, everybody is happy and at peace with themselves and with nature. The people enjoy the simple pleasures of life - nature, birds, and friendly neighbourly conversations. Their days are filled with peaceful walks in the bush, bird watching and fishing. Jim and his friends especially enjoy the serenity of the sanctuary and the wonders of nature that it holds.
On one side of the conflict, Americans have a passionate relationship with nature. Nature acts as a muse for artists of every medium. While studying nature, Jo...
The place that I created to go where there is no materialism and I can be myself and be who I want to be is a place that’s far away deep in the woods. This place is a place that anything is possible. All around you, you see nothing but flowers and animals, beautiful green grass and my own little cottage to spend my days in. Out there I don’t need to hassle with having to pay bills or having to find a job. All I need to do is sit back and relax. I like to fish for food, but I only catch what I can eat, because I don’t want my game to go scarce. I sometimes hunt for my dinner and look for food on the ground like pinecones, or bushes of berries. Out in the forest nobody has to worry about materialism they only have to be themselves. I chose this place because I love the forest and I love animals. I don’t want to put up any fuss about doing anything that I don’t want to do. I can enjoy living out there in the wilderness only listening to nature and the things that surround me. I bath in a river that flows fresh water in everyday. I am happy that I have pets because if I didn’t then I would be lonely all the time and I would have nobody to share my secrets with.
Voltaire, Francois-Marie Arouet de. “Candide.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. ed. Martin Puchner. Shoter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2013. 100-59. Print.
In its time, satire was a powerful tool for political assault on Europe's corrupt and deteriorating society. Voltaire's Candide uses satire to vibrantly and sarcastically portray optimism, a philosophical view from the Enlightenment used to bury the horrors of 18th century life: superstition, sexually transmitted diseases, aristocracy, the church, tyrannical rulers, civil and religious wars, and the cruel punishment of the innocent.
My family and I rarely went on outings; my parents were always busy or at work. Likewise, family trips or vacations were something my parents could not afford. The first time I ever fully experienced the beauty of nature was when I went on a week long trip with my fifth grade class to an outdoor school. This was the first time I went on a real hike and the first time I was really in the middle of nature. Walking through the forest, listening to the birds chirp and the graceful movement of the leaves in the wind changed my perspective. That week, I realized how much beauty there was to discover on Earth. My relationship with the environment started during that trip in fifth grade as I realized that the world is such an immense place full of things to admire and unearth. It was something wholly new to me. I fell in love with the
Peking opera first started to gain national recognition in the 19th century, as is probably the best-known Chinese traditional music-theater in the West. Though known to the West as Peking opera, it is referred to in China as "jing ju," translated as "capital theater." This musical genre contains such diverse characteristics including virtuosic singing in romantic scenes involving young lovers, stylized battle scenes at land our at seas featuring spectacular acrobatics, comical slapstick often with underlying themes of political satire, and dramatic scenes of betrayal, revenge, retribution, and triumph.
Nature is the largest way for me personally, to connect and reflect on the indescribable life I received and the beautiful earth I live on. Many times throughout this year,
I think that, these kinds of places are meaningful to people because they are natural and people can be there alone, away from their everyday life.
The power of nature is all around us and can be found almost anywhere. One is able to study nature through experiencing it firsthand, looking at a picture, watching a movie, or even reading a familiar children’s story. I believe that by learning more about nature we can grow closer to God. Emerson states, “Nature is so pervaded in human life, that there is something of humanity in all, and in every particular” (Emerson 508). Like Emerson, I believe that humanity and nature were created by God and we can learn more about the Spirit of God by studying nature. I also see that nature has the power to influence our emotions and actions. I see evidence of this through various landscapes such as the desert, the beach, the mountains and the jungle. I thought about the vastness of the desert during a recent trip to the desert with my class. I think about nature and my love for it when I am scanning through my photo album and see pictures that capture me enjoying the mountains of Utah. When I watched the movie The Beach I was struck out how nature, specifically the beautiful beaches of Thailand, influenced the actions of every character in the movie. Of course it is hard to read a legendary story such as “Jungle Book” and not see what a powerful effect nature and its’ animals can have over humans.