I remember when I learned that in order to get tenure, English professors usually need to be in the process of publishing a book by their third or fourth year of teaching (when they are being considered for tenure). At the time, the idea of publishing an entire book of scholarly writing seemed like I pretty daunting task for me.
Now that I've written my honors thesis and have several ideas for articles I could write on related topics, writing a scholarly book seems like a perfectly reasonable goal. And as my favorite professor once said about his own writing, ones and ones of people across the country might read it—who wouldn't want to spend their life on that? ;) One chapter down, 5 or 6 more (plus an intro and conclusion) to go.
Academia, here I come.
In case you can't tell, this is a picture of 41 pages of my own writing, 6 pages of sources, at least a couple hundred hours of work, and a whole lot of satisfaction.
I'll admit that until about a year ago, I thought distance runners were crazy. Why would someone spend so much time and effort, sacrificing their feet, knees, ankles, hips, you name it?
Basically, I felt like running more than a few miles at a time was more hurtful than helpful. But then my parents started running marathons. Suddenly, running gels, heart rate monitors, tendonitis, and hydrating on 3 hour weekend runs were common discussion topics. And somehow, I caught the bug. I still think running 26 miles is kind of crazy, but 13 seemed like a reasonable distance (which I realize is still pretty crazy).
So I made a goal to run a half marathon this year, and yesterday, I did it!
As I've trained, I've fallen in love with running. It can be painful (I'm basically always nursing some injury). It can be boring. It can be time consuming. And I absolutely love it. Here's why.
1. Running makes me feel beautiful.
I am grateful that I've never really struggled with major self esteem issues.
Even when it comes to looks, I've always been fairly content with myself. So I was definitely surprised by how much more confident I am in my appearance when I'm running regularly. I don't actually look very different (I've lost a few pounds but it's not all that noticeable), and I'm positive I don't look particularly graceful while I'm running. But knowing that I'm in good physical condition just makes me feel better about my body, even if my appearance is exactly the same to anyone else.
2. Running is respite from the rest of life.
Like most people (or at least most women), I usually have a dozen or so topics going through my mind during any given minute.
I often have the rather paradoxical issue of having too many things to worry about but not enough time to give them the amount of thought they need to be resolved. Running helps in two ways: (1) it gives me a chunk of time to think through something when I can't feasibly be doing anything else, and (2) it gives me the chance to just tune everything out and focus on my podcast and my running. Whether I need some time to think or I need some time to not think, running gives me the break I need.
3. Running improves my health.
Of course this one wasn't exactly unexpected. Health is the reason most people run in the first place, but it's still nice to see noticeable results. When I went to the doctor a few weeks ago, my resting heart rate was 55, at least 10 beats per minute lower than six months ago. That's like the heart rate of an athlete. I've never been an athlete before! Way to be more efficient, heart!
4. Running makes me part of an amazing group.
Anyone who runs regularly knows that runners are some of the friendliest people in the community. Especially if you run early in the morning in popular areas (such as in a park or on a river trail), almost every other runner you pass will look at you, smile, and maybe even say good morning. There is a spirit of mutual support and camaraderie among runners that I think is pretty rare (because let's face it, getting up early and pushing your body to its limits is hard, and we can't resist cheering on anyone who manages to do it).
5. Running gives me something to accomplish.
I always have a pretty long list of things I'm trying to do or be. While I believe I'm making progress on many of them, not many of my goals are as easily tracked and measured as my running goals. I think I'm praying more sincerely than I did 6 months ago, but I KNOW I can run further than I could six months ago. The sense of accomplishment that comes with running is huge, and it's nice to know I'm always improving.
6. Running gives me confidence.
After a long run, this is about how I feel.
Yes, I often feel like some part of my body is about to give out, but I also feel really powerful. As I was running through the canyon yesterday, I remember looking around and thinking "This is incredible. If I can do this, I can do anything!" That boy I'm interested in, I'm totally going to ask him out. That class I'm teaching come fall, I'm totally going to rock it. That paper I want to publish, a little revision and I'm sending it to the journals. For me, "runner's high" basically equates to all my fears melting away. There's nothing quite like it.
Traveling is very important to me. I believe there are things we learn from traveling that we can't learn any other way. Travel opens my eyes to the beautiful diversity of this Earth. It helps me understand other people and myself on a deeper level. It reminds me of what really matters in life. It brings me closer to God by bringing me closer to his children and creations. It teaches me compassion. It makes me more humble and more grateful. In short, travel makes me a better person.
As you might expect, my travels to other countries (mainly Kenya this summer and England two summers ago) have made me appreciate my home country in a new way, but maybe not in the way you would expect. Sure, every time I step under a hot shower or wash my clothes in a washer and dryer, I appreciate it a little more that I used to, but honestly, those weren't the things I missed most while I was in Kenya. I could live without those things, but the following is a list of American blessings that would be a bit harder to give up.
1. I am grateful to live in a country where I can trust the police. True, America isn't totally without corruption, but it is significant that when we hear about a politician or a police officer taking bribes, it is big news rather than something you would expect from public officials. We are lucky to have a police force (and a government and a military) that do their jobs honorably.
2. I am grateful to live in a country where being a practicing religious person isn't totally incongruous with being a well-educated white person. Yes, there are people like me all over Europe, but it is such a small percentage that telling someone you go to church for three hours every Sunday will certainly get an eyebrow raise from most people. The United States is by far the most religious developed country in the world, and though clashing religious beliefs can sometimes cause problems, overall I am grateful for that.
3. I am grateful to live in a country where I can get easily accessible, reasonably priced fresh fruits and vegetables. OK, so this one is a bit more shallow and not necessarily unique to America, but after living off of cheap, processed carbs and greasy meat for three weeks in Kenya (and noticing the contrast in how I felt), I am really grateful for American grocery stores.
4. (the might be the biggest one) I am grateful to live in a country where, as a woman, I have the rights and the resources to decide my own fate. Sure sexism still exists in the US, but nobody thinks I belong to my father or my husband. No one can purchase me with cows (yes, we did get a couple of offers). Not only do I get to choose whom I marry and when I marry, but I get to choose a lot of other things about my life, too. I am unbelievably grateful for this.
5. I am grateful to live in a country where I can get a good college education at a reasonable price. OK, so tuition costs has definitely gotten out of hand across the country as a whole, but that doesn't change the fact that American universities (especially the top ones) are considered among the best in the world. The accessibility of secondary education is a great blessing we have.
6. I am grateful to live in a country where people are loud and outspoken and we're fine with it. If you ever go to another country (especially England), you will realize just how loud you and your friends are. Americans make a lot of noise, and most of the time I love that. I love not feeling like I have to lower my voice or suppress my laughter or be proper all the time. 'Merica!
7. I am grateful to live in a country full of dreamers. The United States might not be the greatest exporter of textiles, but we are the greatest exporter of something much better: ideas. Everywhere you go, you will see American-invented products, American-produced movies and music, and American-expressed ideas. Maybe "The American Dream" doesn't happen for everyone, but it's beautiful that it's called the American dream because that is so indicative of who we are: innovative and full of hope.
8. Finally, I am grateful to live where my family and friends are. Yes, if I grew up somewhere else, my closest family and friends would be somewhere else, too. But they're not. They're in America, and since those relationships are what matter most, I am grateful to be where they are.
Not many people know this about me, but I am an excellent sandwich maker (let the sexist jokes begin). What my sister, Diane, is to sugar cookies, I am to sandwiches. Yeah, I'm that good.
So I though I'd do the Internet a favor and tell you about the sandwich I made the other day that was literally the best sandwich I've ever had (honestly. I said that to my roommate at least 3 times while I was eating it). Especially if you aren't a big fan of lunch meat but still want a sandwich with a decent amount of protein, this sandwich will blow your mind.
Here's everything in the sandwich in order.
multigrain bread
hummus
feta cheese (make sure you put this next to the hummus so it will stick and stay in the sandwich)
tomatoes
salt and pepper
balsamic vinaigrette
sweet mini bell peppers
spinach
avocado
multigrain bread
It is the perfect combination of flavors and textures, and it's pretty darn healthy, too. You could even leave out the cheese for a slightly healthier and/or vegan option, but the feta does add a lot of flavor.
In the past, I have often rather egotistically declared that although I didn't dislike your books, they didn't really meet my standards of great literature. I claimed to tire while reading your books because they were long-winded without the seriousness that makes the ending worth the wait. Obsessing about manners an propriety, focusing too much the upper class, not pushing hard enough for societal reform: These are the things I accused you of.
After reading Pride and Prejudice for the third time (last time, I was 15), I realize how wrong I've been. Your books have a wit and wisdom, an insight into human nature and behavior, a certain perceptiveness that I believe is truly rare. Instead of advocating for change in legal or economic practices, your novels hope for a change in how we think of and treat others. Instead of transporting me to India or showing me the lives of the poor, your novels give me insight into my everyday experiences.
Please accept my sincerest apologies. My skepticism came from a lack of depth in my own lived experience, not a lack of depth in your writing. Thank you for the opportunity to see your world and my world in a new way through your novels. Reading Pride and Prejudice for the third time has been a pleasure.
cooling fire
fading bright
trees burn
skies freeze
clouded sun
clearer stars
pale landscapes
rosy cheeks
Leaves loose their trees
find children's arms
wings flutter away south
but stay in lovers' hearts
New death
meets new life
nature falls asleep
my heart awakens
Welcome to the best season of the year, everyone. Let the scarf-wearing, pumpkin baking, cuddly star-gazing, canyon driving, and hot-chocolate drinking begin.
We all have something (or a list-full of somethings) that just irks us. I'm not talking about your uncle's tendency to tilt his head to the left when he talks to people (trust me, that drives everyone crazy) or your somewhat rational fear of pigs. No, I'm talking about that thing that makes you want to wrinkle your nose but not leave the room, scoot a few feet away but certainly not run. I'm talking about that thing that you have good reason to dislike, yet when you explain it to your friend, she will usually just laugh. Yes, you may be alone in your aversion to that object, but I am here to tell you that you are not alone in these feelings. Here are a couple of my strange aversions.
1. Ladybugs. I was 14-years-old, naive to the deception we so often find in this world. It was a warm spring day, and I was speed walking to get to algebra on time. Suddenly, I felt a pinch on my arm, like the prick of a needle. Instinctively, I swatted at my arm, looking down to see the source of the irritation. I watched in shock as a red insect fell to the ground, then bent over to verify that I saw what I thought I saw. The insect was in fact a ladybug. I know what you're thinking because I have heard the same thing every time I have told this story, "But ladybugs don't bite?" Seriously? You'll question my sanity before believing that maybe, sometimes, ladybugs bite? These foul creatures go around making everyone believe they are these cute, harmless creatures, and then one day, one bites me. Ladybugs are the con-artists of the insect world. And just so you know, I've done my research. Here's an article about Asian ladybugs, a more agressive species of ladybug that is found throughout the United States. They bite.
Ok, so this story exaggerates how I feel about ladybugs a little bit. I don't HATE them. My feelings are closer to annoyance. It just kind of bugs me that I grew up thinking they would never bite me, and then one did. I just don't trust them. So when I see a ladybug, I don't avoid it, but I'm certainly not going to go pick it up. And there you have it. Lauren's very logical aversion number one.
2. Piñatas. My freshmen year of college, I went to a Heritage Halls activity labeled a "fiesta." We were promised nachos, churros, a piñata, and a good time, but they only came through on the piñata. When my roommate and I got there, the food was gone, and the guy I liked was Latin dancing with another girl (I couldn't even Latin dance--don't worry, that has since changed). We decided to stay for the piñata, hoping that a little candy would at least make the 50 feet we walked from our apartment worth the trip. The piñata was kind of lame--it was small and it kept falling off the string, but we still hoped to pick up a few sweets before we left. On the fifth or sixth person, the piñata fell off the string again, but this time was different. Everyone in the circle started shouting and chanting "stab it," "get it," and I had this flashback to the scene in Lord of the Flies when they hunt and kill the pig. Needless to say it was disturbing and I left immediately. I concluded that piñatas are creepy and cater to the savage parts of human nature. Never again.
So there you have it, my two weird aversions. I also have a couple things that I really like for no logical reason, but that is a story for another day. What irks you?
It's not often that I have a day that is just SO good that I just have to write about it. Today was one of those days. My life isn't perfect--my love life is a bit lackluster; my GPA for this semester is currently worse then it's ever been (let's see if I can change that by the end of the semester); I don't know exactly where I'm living next year; I could stand to loose a few pounds and gain some muscle mass. But despite all of this, I am so happy. I have been blessed beyond what I deserve. Seriously guys, God loves me. He loves you, too. :)
Anyway, here are a few things that happened today that made today an exceptionally good day.
1. I bought the Adobe Creative Suite which includes InDesign, Illustrator, and PhotoShop. FOR $235! Actually it was less than that because my parents paid for part of it as my birthday present (FYI, full price is around $1000). If you haven't used any of these programs, you don't really understand why this is a big deal, but if you have, you know that a world of document design and photo-editing is at my fingertips. I feel so empowered. No longer do I have to cater to the hours of the Mac Lab in the JFSB. No longer will I create mediocre, center-aligned flyers. No longer must I use the limited photo-editing options iphoto provides. Everything I create from now on can be a masterpiece of design.
2. I found a plastic egg in the middle of the grass. I was walking by myself through the grass by the HFAC when I spotted it. Of course, being the dork that I am, I picked it up and exclaimed rather loudly, "I found an egg!" and then looked around for a response from the nobody I was with. The most I got was a weird look from a guy who was walking by a few yards away, but I was excited regardless. It had a sudoku puzzle, a piece of chocolate, and I cute note inside it. :)
3. Here's the kicker, guys. After this lovely egg incident and a few great conversations with good people, I was sitting outside in the sunshine (did I mention the weather was PERFECT today?) when I saw that I had a new message in my email inbox. It was from my professor, the director of the Humanities Center, and the subject read "Eliza R. Snow Fellowship." A couple weeks ago, I was one of about 20 students from the college of humanities that were nominated and interviewed for this prestigious position. After reading the subject line, I knew this email would either offer me the position (a slim chance) or tell me I hadn't been chosen. Though I hoped I would be chosen as one of two exceptional students from the whole college of humanities, I certainly wasn't expecting it (I mean what are the chances, seriously). By the subject of this post, I'm sure you can tell what's coming: I was offered the fellowship! Let me just explain what this entails:
A full-tuition scholarship (on top of the full scholarship I already have)
The chance to plan exciting events that explore interesting questions and bridge the gaps between disciplines
The opportunity to work with some of the best scholars in my field (and other fields)
A better chance of getting into the grad school of my dreams
Basically, this fellowship is going to open doors for me in my future, not to mention how fun it will be (I love planning events, and I love exploring new ways of thinking, and this fellowship gives me the opportunity to do both).
All in all, today was an exceptional day. May you all have many days like this in your lives. :)
And now for a couple songs that describe how I'm feeling.
For some reason, in recent months, I have thought and talked a lot about the concept of hope. Perhaps it was because I needed hope. Perhaps it was because my friends needed hope. Perhaps it was because I watched too many hours of Doctor Who which kind of centers around the theme of hope. Regardless it's been on my mind.
When you think about it, hope can sometimes be a rather illogical emotion. I mean, did Edison have any reason to believe that after failing to make a lightbulb hundreds of times, the next time would be a success? Yet I'm sure that each time he hoped his experiment would work. Did Fredrick Douglass have reason to hope he would escape slavery when he had surely seen many more people fail to do so than succeed? Yet hope he did and succeed he did. People hope to win the lottery. People hope to get a certain job. People hope the weather will change. People hope they will be healed from disease. Some of these examples may be based on the choices of the person (getting a certain job, for example) but some of them are entirely outside of our control.
So why do we continue to hope, even when all evidence would tell us it's useless? First of all, I think it is human nature to hope (which is why The Doctor loves humans so much, I think). President Uchtdorf says, "we learn to hope the same way we learn to walk--one step at a time." Just as we are naturally disposed to walk as children, we are naturally disposed to hope. Even when we have been miserable for weeks or months, we can't help thinking that there is a light at the end of the universe. We can't help believing that no trial can last forever; no problem cannot be fixed. This belief may be based partly on our experience (something going on forever is inconceivable to us), but more than that, I think we hope because we have to. And because even if our minds have forgotten, our spirits know that the confused and unhappy people we sometimes are on Earth is not who we are meant to be. We inherently know that there is a better world waiting for us. Every wrong will be made right. Every trial will end. Every pain will be replaced with joy because of He who is the source of all hope: our savior Jesus Christ.
Sometimes (very rarely) I write poetry. I have friends who write good poetry and share it with me, so I guess a small part of me has been inspired to step out of the realm of prose every now and then, if only to have something to share at our open mic poetry nights. My poetry kind of looks like prose where I hit enter a few extra times, but hey, I tried. Enjoy this sample. Maybe I'll share my other stuff at some later date.
Solitude
We’ve all been friends with him at some point
A good friend he has been to me of late.
He’s easy to be friends with
Easy because he knows us
Easy because he doesn’t expect us to be something
Easy because he doesn’t interfere with our dreams.
Yet, sooner or later, we all seem to get tired of him.
London was absolutely everything I could have asked for. I miss it already, but I know that beauty and magic are not bound to London alone. For the next two months, I'm going to see what Utah has to offer. :)
Here's a quick summary of some of the coolest things I did in my last week and a half in London.
1. Hyde Park Jubilee Concert
It was really cool to be in England during the queen’s
diamond jubilee (celebrating 60 years as queen). The British are not generally
an overtly patriotic people, but during the jubilee, we got to see them
celebrating what it means to be British. For the concert, we went to Hyde part
to watch it with thousands of Londoners on big screens, so it felt like we were
there. The hosts were full of British humor and the other viewers actually sang and danced. At the end, the Prince of Wales lead us in three cheers for the
queen (hip hip hooray!), and we American students joined right in without a second thought. Like any concert, it was an incredibly unifying
experience – I felt like for a couple hours, all those people and I were on the same brainwave. I shared their national pride and understood their perspective on life. Plus , the last three performers were Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and
Paul McCartney – simply amazing.
2. Prince of Pagodas by the Royal Ballet
I’ve never
seen such beautiful dancing – every tiny movement was a work of art. And the
theater was magnificent! I grew up hearing about the royal ballet from my
ballet teacher and watching videos of them in class, but I never thought I would see it! It was the most beautiful, enchanting experience. This may have been my favorite show I saw in London.
3. Holst's Planets Exhibit at the Science Museum The exhibit is a series of
rooms in which they have the video and sound of one instrument in the symphony
(played by the world-class London philharmonic). They also have the music for
that part on a stand in the room so people can come play along with the
philharmonic. There was even someone playing along in the violin room. At the
end, they have conducting booths with a video of the orchestra all around you
and a little diagram you follow to conduct (it senses where your hands are and
tells you if you’re in time). The last room combined all the instruments
projected onto the ceiling so you laid in the center and watched the orchestra,
almost like you were star-gazing. The whole thing was magical and it brought
back so many good memories of first hearing "Jupiter" played by the BYU
philharmonic at the Instrumental showcase, then singing in the women’s chorus
for Neptune. Such a cool experience.
And now, it’s time for the story of my final glorious day in
London. After a rather exhausting over-three-hour final, some of us headed off
to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter set tour. That’s right, I saw the cupboard
under the staircase, the Weasleys' car, Hagrid’s motorcycle, Dumbledoore’s office, the
potions classroom, Hagrid’s hut, the great hall, Diagon Alley, the huge model
they used as the castle, Private Drive, the bridge to Hogwarts, the Gryffindor common room,
and hundreds of costumes and props including a mechanical Buckbeak. Oh yeah,
and all their wands. Gah, it was the most magical experience of my life. I had
butterbeer! I felt like Harry on his first time at Diagon Alley. I’m pretty
sure I’m a wizard… well witch. J Seriously though, everything
had so much detail – it really made me appreciate the art of movie making so
much more. As their motto goes, it helped make the magic real and the real
world more magical. Oh, and I bought a very overpriced chocolate frog.
After Harry Potter, we headed to the Globe to see Henry V in
true Shakespearean style – standing on the stone floor. It was a little tiring,
but the atmosphere was awesome - the actors ran through the crowd and talked directly to the audience. Perhaps we weren't as rowdy or as smelly as Shakespeare's audience would have been, but we experienced Shakespeare how he intended it to be experienced (except the fact that the female roles were actually played by females).
After the show, we walked along the bank of
the Thames to Parliament to see it lit up at night. The night was cool an calm; Parliament, the London Eye, and St. Paul's stood out amidst a variety of ancient and modern buildings; it was absolutely beautiful. Best final day in London
possible? I think so.
Guess how many shows I went to this week. Five. Yep, I went to a show a day for the past week and I would have gone to Singin' in the Rain tonight if it hadn't been sold out. London. is. awesome. Let's rank them, shall we.
Coolest Venue
1. Madame Butterfly - the London Coliseum. This was by far the most gorgeous concert hall I've been in, decorated in the classical style with columns, carved marble, high painted ceiling. Unbelievable.
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - this was in a giant tent in the middle of Kensington Gardens. It was a 360 degree theater with some crazy stuff happening with the set (everything basically emerged from the ground...). We walked in past Kensington palace and walked home along embassy road.
3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -It was in a tiny theater south of the Thames underneath a railroad track. the room was dark and misty and the actors were never more than about 10 feet away from you.
4. Antigone - National theater.
5. The Woman in Black
Most Talented Actors
1. Madame Butterfly - beautiful opera full of beautiful voices
2. The Woman in Black - I was completely enthralled the entire time. I felt the fear of the young man and the pain of the older one (there were only two actors). The whole thing was essentially a play within a play but that didn't stop it from feeling entirely real.
3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - there was some real talent in this little-known production. The woman who played Lucy had a voice far too big for the tiny room and the man who played Jekyll/Hyde could switch from Jekyll to Hyde flawlessly, always making it clear which person he was yet constantly reminding us they were the same person.
4. Antigone - I feel bad putting this one fourth because the star was none other than my first doctor - Christopher Eggleston. He did a great job, but there were moments throughout the play when I was pulled out of the story because the characters' emotions didn't seem entirely real.
5. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - The acting wasn't noticeably good or bad, but the setting, costuming, and choreography were all so enchanting that fantastic acting wasn't necessary.
Most Powerful Emotional Impact
1. The Woman in Black - I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I don't really like scary movies, but I love scary stories and plays because they leave so much of it up to your imagination, and my imagination isn't gory or demonic like movies can be. Because the play was written to be low budget, they leave most of the scary stuff up to your imagination, so I experienced the adrenaline rush of fear without nasty images in my head. Thrilling.
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - I left excited about life, spiritually uplifted, and feeling like a kid again.
3. Antigone
4. Madame Butterfly - I think I was just too tired to get emotionally invested in the story, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the beauty of the music. :)
5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - I didn't enjoy this musical. The main emotion it evoked was anger because I thought the over-emphasized the gore and sexuality (which isn't in the book) and under-emphasized the book's deep theme of the internal struggle between good and evil. The venue was cool and some of the acting was impressive, but otherwise I didn't enjoy the experience.
I'm blogging twice today because I didn't blog last week so I have this strange, unfounded feeling that I owe the blog world another post. And by blog world, I mean my family, since I'm pretty sure they're the only ones who read my blog. Plus, I did a lot more than wander through mountains and gardens in the past two weeks, and these things demand documentation. So, here's my top three artistic experiences in the past two weeks.
1. National Gallery. England has produced relatively few great painters, yet somehow they have a museum full of paintings by all of the most famous painters in the world. Monet, Van Gough, Claude, Turner... It breaks my heart that in less than a month, I won't have any Monet paintings just a couple miles away. This is one of the treasures of London.
2. Dove Cottage. I sat in the garden at Dove Cottage (Wordsworth's home) and wrote poetry. I can see why so many great writers spent their time in the Lake District. The landscape almost demands that you release the creative energy it inevitably creates in any thoughtful person. We also saw many first editions of books of romantic poetry. So cool.
3. Warhorse. Before it was a movie, it was a play. The horses are puppets controlled by three people at a time, and the artistry of the puppetry is amazing. They imitate the movements of horses so exactly that you forget that there aren't real horses on the stage. An inspiring story masterfully performed.
"All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth and all things that are upon the face of it." Alma 30:44
The past two weeks, I have seen the power of god manifest through nature like I never have before. Our BYU group has an interesting tendency to break into song everywhere we go, but it's quite telling that when we are at the summit of a mountain or the thick of a forest, those songs are always hymns of praise. How can anyone who has seen and felt the glory of nature doubt what Alma testifies, that all things denote there is a God?
We spent several days this week in the Lake District, the northern England paradise where Wordsworth spent most of his life and where he wrote these immortal words:
THE world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn; So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
As Wordsworth laments, I think it is one of the great tragedies of human life that we often spent our time "getting and spending" and not appreciating the beautiful world we have been given. Hiking around Ambleside and up Arthur's seat in Edinburgh (where Orson Hyde prayed and dedicated Scotland for Missionary work) has inspired me. There is natural beauty everywhere in the world, and I have made it one of my goals this summer to discover what Utah has to offer. And it's not just the natural beauty that has inspired me. I have found that natural beauty combined with man-made objects is perhaps the most stunning. The old stone walls of the ruined Fountainhead abbey we visited are made more beautiful by the moss and grass that covers them. The carefully planned landscape at Stourhead gardens (planted to look natural, or "picturesque") mixed with quaint cottages and a classical-style temple have a charm that only human influence could create. (you know the scene form the recent Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him the first time - I sang in that building. Best acoustics ever) People often complain about the destructive influence of humanity on nature, but out of destruction, new beauty finds a way to spring up. I'm sure that when Henry VIII destroyed fountainhead abbey, everyone thought that the beauty of the place was lost forever, but now the place is simply beautiful in a different way. Maybe beauty is just one of those things that can't be beat, or perhaps more likely, it is human nature to see things as beautiful. But there is one thing I'm sure of - as the great romantic poets believed, we have to look for beauty if we hope to find it.
I love school so much I want to go to school for the rest of my life. My interests include writing, music, and travel, mostly because of their ability to help me see into the worlds of other people. I live a fine life. :)
.JPG)
