I'm choosing to write about something that's happened recently. Mrs. A left a comment on my bloom assignment that states, "Be fearless as always and you will learn more than those less motivated." I don't know if it's because I'm a softy at heart or what but this really struck a good nerve.

There are millions of people out there competing on daily basis for what you're after! There are only so many things one can accomplish in order to come closer to their goal before you have to look within in order to expand. When you find yourself at this milestone ask yourself, "Can you grind when you're sick?" "Can you lead the pack?" How far are you willing to go in order to achieve and follow your dreams?

I don't mean to be preacher but these are the things that motivate me. Don't let others and your own doubts get in the way of your dreams. Crush that voice, exceed your expectations and reap the benefits! The only way you can truly accomplish your dreams is to find comfort in being uncomfortable. We are bigger than our bodies and we are much bigger than our own perceptions. Reach for the stars, shoot for the moon, if you miss- you're more than likely to hit another star and hey.. that's pretty cool.

 Big shout-out to Mrs. A for being the spark :)

Earth resembles that of a vast canvas, filled with endless amounts of beauty. Some of this beauty is rare and seen by only a few wandering eyes, if any. Other parts of the painting are as well-known as the Mona Lisa, yet still looked upon as momentous. There are so many beautiful places upon this planet we humans call Earth. Some may be fond of mountains; towering land masses protruding from small to great distances above the ground. Others may be inspired by glaciers; baffled by the dominant amounts of ice. Out of any place in the whole world, there is no other place I’d rather be than the ocean.  

When one thinks of their life in relevance to the billions of other lives living on Earth, they may feel irrelevant. When I stand in the salty waters of the ocean, I feel tiny, yet I feel as if I have purpose. I look out into the vast, never ending horizon, feeling vulnerable and invincible at the same time. The waves come in no organization, sometimes barely rocking me and others knocking me to the ground. I never understood the power of water until I realized how authoritative it is when it comes together to form something as large as the ocean. Sometimes the waves are soothing, like sweet melodies flowing softly through your head. Other times they may show no mercy, becoming relentless in some crazy mission to stir up chaos. I enjoy lying down upon a board and allowing the waters to carry me where it pleases. The water seems to follow its own sense of direction, going against any sense of order.

The painter of this planet doesn’t get anywhere near the credit they deserve. I call my painter God, and I try to give him the recognition he’s worthy of for His masterpiece. There are so many different areas of his painting that I have yet to discover. We are all mere specks of paint on the huge canvas of earth. The paint is still wet, and we are free to run where we please. As paint dries, so do our lives. The ocean is just one place I have drizzled down the canvas and collided with. There are so many other locations I wish for my speck to come in contact with. As for now, my heart's content and looks forward to the day I may visit neighboring oceans. I look forward to my toes burrowing themselves within the sand, my nostrils deeply inhaling the salty atmosphere, and my eyes gazing upon one of the most wonderful places God has painted; the Ocean.

I believe that through the power of never fully understanding our existence it has pushed us to try and fully understand other things in life; Such as how to grow a garden or maintain fields of crops. It’s truly a beautiful thing. Through learning how to do something as simple as growing a plant or flower- we’ve taken that same concept, studied our trials and errors, and have provided for hundreds and thousands of people in need by growing substantial amounts of food!

I believe through the power of never fully understanding our existence it has not only pushed us to go big and out of our comfort zones as a species, but has also drawn us in to ask ourselves on a daily basis, “Why am I here?” or “What am I here for?” and because of that question we’ve dug deep within ourselves and find something that satisfies the unexplained void within our hearts. Some become teachers to pass knowledge, shaping future generations. Other’s become doctors, nurses, and firemen to help the community in which we live in.

I believe in the power of never fully understanding because it’s beautiful. It’s curious, it’s adventurous and filled with the unknown. I also fear in my belief. Over the years our curiosity has led us to create weaponry capable of crumbling our fragile earth to pieces. It has led us to artificial intelligence, along with discovering properties of space which will soon enable us to warp time. Not only do I believe in never fully understanding our existence, I also believe in that the closer we are to finding out: who, what, where, and why- The closer we are to the end

Recently I was asked, "If all the people around you tell you that you should believe in the "Liberal viewpoint" and that Conservatives are just heartless people (or vice versa), do you think average people could come to embrace one political viewpoint and quietly despise or hate others who feel otherwise? With politics you may not be asked to kill yourself but you may be influenced to dislike others who dare to think differently.  Can the power of the situation be strong enough to get us to do that?" For some reason this really got under my skin and I really got to thinking about this.. I feel that if people were in this type of situation they would only be able to stay quiet for so long. With outlets like social media it's too easy for people to come together, share ideas, argue, and influence each other. The democratic and republican parties have been biting each other's necks for the longest and it's only a matter of time before something drastic takes place to reset the country/world. This might not be a perfect example but, with the rebel flag scenario there's been so much talk and exploitation of outlets that companies have had no choice but to react accordingly otherwise they suffer consequences such as loss of money, power, and networking opportunities; Such as the canceling of "The Dukes of Hazard." series. If you were to ask the same question forty-fifty years ago I believe that it would be one the same track as today but on a different scale due to available technology.

Politics is such a broad word. If you look at what's been happening overseas you'll realize that this has been happening for thousands of years. You'll also see that religion plays a big part in politics. If one "political party" doesn't agree with the other then you'll either see economic collapse or bloodshed. The political system is plateauing and I feel that the only way to keep the people at bay is to cycle through the right types of presidents that relatively have the same outlook- maybe a couple different beliefs and complexes here and there to present individuality. For the majority of things- a good portion of people that take time to look into American politics vote according to which president has the same beliefs as the individual. I also feel that personality and the way the presidential candidate sways people has a lot of influence as well as a personable being is a trusting one.

After reading Newby's blog I've decided to completely swagger jack his intro and reiterate how thankful I'm for the weekend. So- TGIF! In this edition of "The Forest" I'd like to take some time and talk about culture differences. One of my wife's close friends (Claire) from France is spending three weeks with us and there's been a variety of differences I've picked up on. For one, it has become apparent that string cheese is very comical among our friends in the EU. Another one that might be a little more obvious than the previous is that they literally use a knife in almost every meal which I used to find silly but it's a productive way to get more on your spoon! And lastly, they don't nearly eat as much as we do. Not saying the average American family will sit down and go through three or four dinner plates but it's been pretty common for her to eat an appetizer, salad, and have a class of water. After looking into French culture I can see that the culture itself promotes health and portion control much more effectively than here. I also don't think that having access to a plethora of fast food "restaurants" helps either. GMO's anyone? ;)

(Candid always makes for the best pictures. This photo was taken at the tail end of winter last year at Mt. Si in North Bend, WA)

After reviewing the forum I've come to a simple conclusion- I'm writing to a very diverse audience. Not only does everyone come from different walks of life, but also different sets of minds which always makes for a range of eclectic responses. We were all asked to provide one question for our classmates and all of us provided. Now, what Mrs. A said about really getting to know somebody by the questions they ask is nothing shy of the truth. Given the freedom to ask anything- you can really dig deep and analyze a person based on this exercise, but this is neither here nor their. Something that I can genuinely appreciate is a classmate that digs deep into my writing and helps me dig further into my mind. What surprised me is how involved my classmates are considering this is an online-summer course. I know, I know, a biased opinion is an ugly one but an opinion none the less. I figured that there really wouldn't be as much interaction as a fall or spring term, but I was pleasantly proven otherwise. Expanding on my previous statement; I believe that the knowledge obtained from this forum will impact my writing by helping me look at things from a multitude of angles. Building off what previous writing skills I had this will enable me to write with more substance and relate-ability.

The “I believe” I chose to free write about is the last one on my list. “I believe mountain biking in the woods until you're lost and finding your way out before nightfall makes you appreciate the simple things in life.” Now, this is something I often did years back if ever I felt the world was caving in on myself or if I  just needed to get away for a couple of hours. In that particular time of my life I was in a standstill with the Army having to wait almost one year to leave for basic training. Every day was an internal battle; feeling as if I didn’t accomplish anything really got to me. So in hopes to aiding that feeling I started running in the forest which progressed to mountain biking down black diamond paths. One day I had gone a little too far and found myself scrambling to find my way out. Now, by no means is this a smart solution but it sure gave me a sense of accomplishment when I found the pavement again. 

118 words.