There are few things better in life than seeing nature at its purest, rawest, most savage self. And just down from that on the totem of exhilaration is when a day like today comes along. Cool weather with blistering wind and a landscape asking for exploration. Hiking past bedding grounds and remnant prairies, and through a woodland slowly counting down the days towards the arrival of winter. Perhaps it wasn't the
best day to go for 4 1/2 hour hike, but it was a great day at worst. The scenery coupled with having an hysterical, intelligent friend along for the ride makes for quite a synergistic effect. Long live the cold, harsh winds of late Autumn.
ADDENDUM:After thinking about today a little bit more some thoughts have struck me. Today while hiking my friend and I were discussing different things and one of those things was the differences in cultures between Europe and America. And one thing that became apparent through the conversation was that the American Midwest is lacking a true culture; an identity. It merely has a conglomerate of peoples progressing through life at various intervals. It isn't like the South, where families stay together through the 1st and 2nd cousin levels. In the South, there are still gatherings in the town squares on weekends to mingle and talk and listen. But here in the stale, cold, bland Midwest we are lacking a connection. We lack the common decency to say hello and thank you to our fellow citizens. There is a general disconnect between individuals and there is certainly no sense of a great belonging; No ties that bind. It is a frustrating realization that the regional society is so stunted in its growth toward a common, greater good.
In Other News...
a) My sister's car was stolen. Then found 3 blocks away. Our society has some real issues.
b) Intellectual revolutions are solid gold.
c) I think Russell needs a date (preferably a female).
Connemara's Rising is solely a division of David Brunner's Intellectual gifts.
© 2004 David Brunner
