Alone in the Universe

Entering into the Arboretum of Western Washington University was an experience to say the least. The forest itself has an aura around it, like all living things; a sort of spirit if you will. The forest, I assume, has been around for decades — centuries even and you can definitely feel that. Like all living things, the forest had good qualities and bad qualities. Some good ones I’ve personally found were the trails and the plant life. The trails run along for miles, twisting uphill and downhill, passed rocks and around trees. It is more than the perfect place for an avid runner to lace up their favorite pair of running shoes and go for a brisk jog in the cool winter air. And the plant life was so wonderful. As the breeze flowed through the leaves of the tall trees, the forest obtained a sense of calmness in it. As if the outside world just stopped — it never existed and all that was left in the whole of the universe was this forest, this place. I wonder why that is? Why this place feels the way it does. Lynn A. Staeheli defined place with five terms, one of which I believes applies to the forest above all others: a place as a social process. This meant that the place “was not stagnant,” that the place was always and forever “a process,” always changing. This can be seen in plants and trees and the manmade objects such as the roads and watchtower. The forest, whether it is by man or by nature, will constantly be changing for as long as there are things to change. But with the sweets, come the sour. Some not-so fun things in the forest are some of the lewd acts committed in the dead of the night, deep within the forest. Asking around, most people gave me their honest answers of what they like to do in the Arboretum which many consisted of smoking pot and drinking alcohol. Now, I’m totally liberal and I don’t care if someone smokes or drink. I’ll probably start drinking when I get older, however I don’t think a beautiful forest should be the place for that. There are plenty of other places someone can go to get buzzed and high. In addition to the wild college students, it is too damn cold to go walking! It would probably be nice to take a leisurely stroll with a friend but not when it’s so cold out I can see my breath. I’m still new here and on average it is ten degrees colder here than back home. But some people may like the cold and some may want a nice place to smoke and drink with their friends and that’s fine. It’s all up to you and what you like (though you still shouldn’t drink or smoke in the forest considering it’s illegal). But in the end, the Arboretum was nice. It’s always fun to find a place that can take you out of this crazy and chaotic world and into a secluded universe all of its own.