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In the Middle of Nowhere
Thanh NhânLast summer, I used to sit on top of the grassy slope beside the students' wing almost every day at sun set. Under the shadow of the maple tree, I leaned against the tree and closed my eyes to enjoy and reflect during a quiet moment of the year in Epworth, and moreover to sense the natural harmony surrounding me.
I suddenly opened my eyes when far away, there was a small dog,
which was accompanied by an elderly couple; it barked at a ground
squirrel. Half-way toward the hill-side, some squirrels hastily
ran back to their caves. Others were still standing erect at their
cave's entrance, like kangaroos, as if to observe what was going
on. Of course, this is the natural instinct that they have for
surviving.
On the hill-side, while observing how the ground squirrels reacted,
I thought to myself that these little squirrels react in very
sensual ways. I wonder if there were some time in my life when
I would go out of my mind. This sounds strange, doesn't it? In
other words, I wish I could escape from the reality of life in
order to sense the pleasurable natural things.
While taking a quiet moment to observe things around me, I could see the many colors that weave together the beautiful landscape of nature with the hilly green pastures. In the same way, I could hear the harmonious sounds created by the corn fields, the leaves, trees, the cars running from afar, and even the insects. Indeed, these harmonious sounds would fill my heart with enjoyment and relaxation, and empty it of worries about life. With these pleasant sounds, I could also smell and breathe the fresh air of the farm state, even though there was some times an inescapable odor from the farm. Perhaps, this is a distinct characteristic of Iowa. And finally, I could feel and taste the gentle care of mother nature who brings life to this little world when the wind lightly blows over my skin and through my hair as if to embrace my heart in her arms.
Ending the day, I thought to myself that I would never be lonely if I really sensed this very nature. Perhaps, I was not sitting alone, but in the middle of what I sensed. Vision, sound, smell, feeling, and taste, all make up a wonderful rhythm of life, a harmony between creatures and human being like myself.