Today I just want to reflect on what I did last Saturday.
Saturday I went with my region of the Conservation Leadership Corps to clean up a shore area by Bull Shoals Lake. There were only 5 of us who went and we spent about 3 hours cleaning. In that time, we managed to find 8 tires and fill 11 big trash bags full of dock foam, bottles, old shoes, food wrappers, etc. Now, most people may not think picking up trash for three hours could be enjoyable, but I enjoyed every single minute of it. I love being with people who are passionate about wildlife like I am, I love being outside on a beautiful day, and I love making a difference. I realized something Saturday. A lot of us have big dreams and have moments where we feel inspired to do something and make a difference, but after a while those things fade. They fade without notice and we're too busy in our lives to even see them slip away. Then one day, a wake up call comes and we realize just how far we've let our dream slip, just how far we've been from thinking about the things that were once so important and inspiring to us. The people that went to the cleanup helped to wake me up again.
On our drive to Bull Shoals, we saw birds flying overhead. But they weren't just birds. They were Scissortail Flycatchers, American Robins, American Crows, and we even saw an Osprey. At the field station, we heard birds. But they weren't just birds. They were Pileated Woodpeckers, Indigo Buntings, Cardinals, and Tufted Titmouse. I had forgotten how much I need to be around people who share my knowledge and share my passion. I hadn't realized how much was missing from my everyday life until Saturday. I love my friends here in school, but they all have different passions and don't relate to my passion.
I remember going to a Christian worship service once. The preacher was answering a question someone in the audience had asked. It was about a Christian person being in a relationship with someone who wasn't of the Christian faith. The preacher was saying that Christian people should be in relationships with other Christian people. I wasn't sure how I felt about that statement at first. It seemed to me that he was making a plug that Christians shouldn't date non-Christians because he viewed Christians as being "above" that. But he wasn't saying that at all. He was saying that you should try to be with someone who strengthens your passions, strengthens your Christianity. He was saying that a non-believer could potentially bring you down, and as a Christian, it's hard enough not to let life drag you down without the help of someone else. I think this applies to the people you surround yourself with too. I realized on Saturday that I need time to be around people who share my passions. I need them to revive the feeling in me to make a difference and do something big with my life. I'm not saying that I need to ditch everyone who doesn't share my visions, because that would be a silly thing for me to do. I learn a lot from people who are different from me. What I do need is that time with nature, and that time with people who understand the connection I feel with it.
It's not like the cleanup Saturday had a huge impact on my life. It didn't dramatically impact me. It was a friendly reminder. A reminder for me to keep myself on track. A reminder to hold onto my dreams because I'm not alone. I really enjoy every single one of the people who were there with me that day. I want them to know how thankful I am for the reminder, and how thankful I am for their passions for the natural world around us. I hope everyone can take the time to reflect every once in a while one their own dreams. Dreams are what make the big differences in this world. We need them in our sights so we can achieve them. Don't ever give up. Life drives us on whether we want it to or not, we might as well be moving forward.
