Outside/Inside Reflection

I walked down to Centennial Woods to complete my outdoor observation experience. I walked only a little ways in and sat atop a dead log. The log was lying on a pillow of green moss. I sat and looked around. From my wooded perch, I could see a swamp down below, as well as a sunny open field. I decided to do a sensory meditation. I sat indian-style and cupped my hands on my lap. Focusing on breath, I tried to distill my mind from today's batch of stress and obligation. Thoughts slowly faded as I sat motionless, now beneath the log and on the moss. I shut my eyes and focused on what I could hear. I heard several songbird calls, a woodpecker, a crow, and a stream trickling below. The most conspicuous noise however, was that of the cars on East Ave. An Ambulance siren lasted for what seemed like an eternity before fading away, a person driving honks his horn, and a 747 jet flies overhead. I wish I could be further away, I thought. Next, I focused on smell. I could smell the freshly fallen pine needles, the cloud of plants being hit by the sun, and the comforting earthen smell of the woods. I flashbacked several times to hiking in Maine, the smell really triggers it above everything else. I then reopened my eyes and looked around to see the same place, but this time, it seemed more familiar, more comforting.

I began to think, as I often do, about how I benefit from spending time away from the hustle and bustle of life. I begin to feel the world around me. I feel not only the breeze, but the tree cover, the dirt beneath me, the stillness. Things slow down and I can begin to make sense of myself in this world. Thoughts that I have been suppressing or avoiding, are now being extrapolated and thought through. I feel one with the world around me. I relate to and revere the trees, the bugs, the dirt, the moss. ......

I sit down and watch tv. The Simpsons. Homer almost get hits by Marge and runs into the house only to find that the couch is floating in mid air. Da dada dada dadadadadadada (Simpsons Them Song). Boom! Commercial Break. Miller Lite. "Why don't you take your skirt off and order a Miller Lite" Monster Energy Drink Commerical. Enormous Man kicking buildings down after gulping a 5 oz. energy shot. Hyundai Warrantee "you can trust us" car commercial. Followed by Ford F-150, with some misogynist narrator trying to mimic the typical man's stream of consciousness... "The guys we cheated off of in high school are the ones who made this car. We're thinking about pizza theyre thinking about aerodynamics." Snap! back to the show. What a whirlwind of commercials! How can I even begin to think critically about any of this stuff when it is back to back to back. Jolts of buzzwords and lightflashes take ahold of my brain quicker than I can process things.

Watching television is easier than sitting outdoors. I think this may be due to the fact that we are brought up watching tv and sitting outdoors can be thought of as boring. What am I going to do sitting by myself for 30 minutes? That's crazy!

Being outside made it much easier to control the flow of information. Goes without saying i think.

Each experience taught me different things. I can say that I was MUCH happier and more at peace when sitting outdoors.

Television makes people stay inside. It also makes our minds less open to thinking outside of what is easy and comfortable. True knowledge can be found in books, in experience, in nature. Rarely do I watch something that makes me think deeply about myself, but I often have my deepest thoughts when outside, alone, comfortable, and at peace.