Free Write

This weekend I was able to go to Greenlief Army Training Site for my Army ROTC class. We were able to incorporate a lot of things into our activities out there, which and to the enjoyment and the excitement that lasted the entire weekend.
We started the weekend off by using our M16 to zero in, which means your weapon will be accurate at 300m. After the zeroing exercise, we got to throw grenades and eventually move onto the firing range and shoot pop-up silhouettes. Shooting the M16 rifle was very exciting for me because I had never shot one before this training event, but I soon realized that the fun had only just began.
We soon loaded up and were bused out to our campsites. This was the most primitive camping that I have ever been a part of. We had no lights, no type of shelter; we just simply slept in our sleeping bags on the ground out in the weeds. It actually wasn’t that bad and I surprisingly enjoyed the entire primitive camping ordeal but that is not to say I didn’t obtain a mild case of bug bites but I was bound and determined to not let that get my morale down. We got only four hours of sleep that night because we had to guard our base from “enemy.”
The next day was the longest day of the weekend for sure. We were up at 4:45 and didn’t go to bed until midnight. Sounds terrible I know but the day was full of activity and the hours seemed to fly past. We executed missions all day. The mission types included: Ambush, Hostage, Movement to Contact, Negotiations, and Recon. Later that night we moved to Land Navigation.
We were given points on a global coordinate grid and had to find them throughout the entire training site and then had to do it again at night with the aid of night type of light. It was extremely hard and the fact that the course was some of the hard navigating the other students had seen, didn’t help my cause any.
Tomorrow was the last and shortest day. We learned how to conduct missions in urban terrain and how to clear rooms etc. We ended with a bang by having to crawl about 200-300 meters through an underground tunnel that was dark, cold, and not to forget the tunnel rats.
Overall some would read this and not understand why it was fun, but I guess its one of those things where you just had to be there.

Observation & Reflection- Pioneers Park

As I approach a trail at Pioneers Park, shortly after leaving the parking lot, I discover that I am no longer within the boundaries of a tall grass prairie surrounding the parking lot borders, but find myself under a tall canopy of Cottonwood trees. The rather scorching September sun of Nebraska isn’t beating down on me constantly as it was on the walk over, but still tries to take its shot by penetrating down through the opening between the lush tree swarmed landscapes.
The sounds of lively bugs make a constant buzz throughout the brush and the Wild Gooseberry bushes. It makes me think of the city. Only this time, instead of hearing honking and the sounds of engines roaring, you hear the persistent clatter of wildlife and wind making the leaves of the cottonwood wipe against each other making a commotion almost as if they are communicating to each other that a visitor is walking around. The difference between the city and the wilderness that is most evident to me in this standpoint. It was nice for once not to have to glance around and see honking horns, exhaust pouring out of exhaust pipes, people yelling or dozing off and leaving other drivers sit at the green light. It was so peaceful in fact I had forgotten that town was only in the distant horizon.
I continue to walk down the paved path. Vivid purple and exotically colored plants cover each side of the trail. I stop to attempt to put in writing what I am experiencing and soon notice a roli poli crawling across my foot, a Red butterfly temporarily lands on my shoulder, but soon commences in flight once more to chase his fellow butterflies just inches above the purple flowers where the honey bees are busy at work pollinating the flowers. It was almost as if you stopped, the environment would attempt to make you part of it. This was clearly the case as I stumbled upon an abandoned cabin.
The age of the ancient wooden structure is astonishing. It appears to be fenced in by a thick layer of flowers and a semi-transparent haze of honey bees can be seen hovering just above the tops of the bushes.
The smells the park was producing were most intriguing. Who ever thought the smell of pine trees, and the fresh breeze could ever be so soothing. The wind was blowing particularly hard that day and a smell came over me that couldn’t be mistaken. Water. As I follow the path, which has now turned to mulch and dirt, I finally navigate my way through the thick trees, and come to an opening.
I am immediately blinded by the sun, which didn’t seem to forget about me while I was in the trees, and I discover a small pond. With the perimeter of the pond covered by moss and green algae, there was still plenty of the pond that was visible. Untouched by the human hand, the water was extremely still, almost representing glass. The only breaks in the seemingly ripples water were the sticks and logs that were sporadically sticking up through the surface. Every now and then a small group of duck s would swoop down and lightly brush the water with the tips of the feather. They landed for a moment, but were soon in flight again once they noticed I was standing in the front of the opening. I began to walk again and herd Elk calling in the distance. I stop and look up the path, which has a subtle upgrade to it. Thinking I am done for the day, I recall the things that I’ve experienced. I then am suddenly awakened from my day dream by another scream from the distant Elk, and I realize I must push on.
I continue to walk atop the paved path, hearing the fallen leaves crunch beneath my feet as I walk. I see two deer skulls beside the path. They are placed in such a manner that they had to have been deliberately placed there. They were menacing and seemed to have given me a subliminal message saying don’t continue down the path, but that couldn’t be the case for I notice people off in the distant. Well, actually, just one older woman.
I walk up to her, being sure to make noise as no to startle her. My original intent was not to question her, but I was curious as to why she alone, was out here minding her own. She looked at me and said only one word. Medicine. She comes out every day and has her very own “thinking spot,” she put it. The nature provided the serenity and the feel of well being that if anything was troubling her she would come out here and just think. I found this very peculiar because that was how I felt the instance I got out of my car. I jotted down the conversation and soon after I looked up and the woman and disappeared off behind the old cabin. I thought nothing of it to myself and started to walk on.
As I continue to venture up the trail, I am soon greeted by a vast prairie filled with bison. A truly magnificent site, I try not to get side tracked and continue down the trial. The wind is still blowing and the tall grass resembles water as the wind creates waves in each individual blade of prairie grass. As I walk, I think about the diversity that I have all ready experienced. The things I’ve experienced thus far have included prairie, lush vegetation, a deciduous forest, and now even more vast grassland. Just as I’m imagining all these things, it appears I thought to soon. I now have come to a small wetland. I look around and realize that where I am now standing is the back side of the lake that I observed earlier.
Now, that I’m out in the open, smells overwhelm me. The fresh scent of the prairie breeze, plants, the smell of pine from the thick trees, and the somewhat unpleasant scent of bison manure temporarily numb my sense of smell. I am quickly brought back to reality and a fish jumps in the pond next to me. I continue you walk in what seems to be a giant circle around the pond, occasionally breaking the bond between foot and ground to venture across a boardwalk that helps you track over the water but not on it.
It isn’t as warm now and as I look to the sky, I notice that clouds are moving in and rather quickly. I began to jog back across the trail and to the parking lot.
When I reach my car, I climb into the driver’s seat and began to reflect on my adventure that I have just underwent. So many things to experience in so little time, although as I glance at my clock it reads 6:30, and indicates to me that was seemed to be a short evening afternoon hike turned out to be a two and a half hour expedition.
The things that the park did for me in just that relative short period of time were remarkable. The things that I experienced were unlike anything I could have pictured. I have been in the woods plenty times in my life, but when you actually stop and take notice of what's going on around you, the things you experience are unpredictable much like the weather I encountered.
From the city to the country you never quite realize everything there is to take in regardless of how difficult some try. Whether it is the difference between the buzzing of bugs to honking horns, to tall buildings blocking your view or a dense canopy of cottonwoods, the difference are astounding. For me, the outdoors definitely gives me a different feeling than being entrapped in the concrete jungle we call downtown. Although the things you experience are all of that you yourself make, from spending time in the park, I have found out more about myself and what it feels like to just have peace for a moment even if for just moment, the impact with stay with you as long as you let it.