Hunter Bronder: Image and Pilgrimage - hikes vs pilgrimages

            In Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, it says that once someone takes a pilgrimage, they will be freed from social structures. I think that most people who take a pilgrimage will come across some of the ideas we learned in the class. The ideas of flow and communitas seem like they would be present in the same way on a pilgrimage as they are on a hike. To me this means that a hike on the AT could be similar to a pilgrimage for some people. The only thing that could be different between the two could be the way people approach a pilgrimage. People on a pilgrimage may have a deeper spiritual appreciation than people simply hiking. Still though I think that some hikers turn their trips into a self made spiritual journey, which make them seem almost identical to a pilgrimage.  

Hunter Bronder: Image and Pilgrimage - emotional tone

In Images and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, it says an emotional tone goes along with pilgrimage. I feel like this can relate also to journeys on trails such as the Appalachian Trail. There is an emotional tone that goes with trips such as the AT. For example, in the footage we watched on the last day of class the guy who reached the end of the AT was very emotional. At times he was laughing while at others he was crying. I believe that trails that have the ability to affect someone’s values such as he AT could be said to have this emotional tone. If a hiker did not allow him or herself to experience the emotions the trail gave them they may not take as much from the trip. Just as a pilgrimage should be taken serious, so should a hike. Hikes also have this ability to change someone when approach in the right way. 

Hunter Bronder: Images and Pilgrimage - rituals

In Images and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, the author shares parts of a ritual that are preformed at a certain rock. Having been part of something where rituals were preformed, I found it weird that they would share parts of the ritual. Usually when a ritual is preformed, it is secret or special to the person or group performing it. Rituals are important to making a place sacred. This made me wonder if a place is considered sacred then how sure are people that it was made extraordinary by ritual. Do people that make places sacred ever share the ritual preformed or is it just in certain cases where ritual cannot be shared.  

Hunter Bronder: Nolan Trail class

Some classes I can only learn or see things from in a classroom. In other classes, such as this one, it is sometimes necessary to venture outside of the classroom to gain a full understanding of the subject. When the class took a trip to the Nolan Trail it was one of these, allowing me to see first hand some of the ideas we had learned about.

            Only being outside for an hour and fifteen minutes, it was hard to grasp some of the things we had learned about. One thing I was able to see in the short time I was out there though was flow. Flow deals with freeing ones mind of the conscious world and becoming one with your surroundings. At one point the whole class was on a bridge watching the turtles. I though that this was when no one was really thinking about anything else going on and everyone was simply watching these turtles swim. For that brief amount of time everyone was free from the world and focused only on the turtles.

            Besides learning, there were also some interesting things I saw in nature. One thing that really stuck out to me was a tree that at the very bottom started as one trunk, before separating into two, then coming back to one, only to separate again. The tree showed just how cool nature can be at times. First the way the tree grew apart at the bottom was interesting but not as much as when it came back together. I always see nature as something that is just there, sometimes forgetting that it’s actually alive. I wonder why this tree did this? Maybe something wrong with part of the tree and the other came to help out or the tree was not balanced. Either way this made me realize what I forget sometimes, that nature is real and has to work together with its surroundings the same way we do.

            This nature class was beneficial to help me see things nature has to offer. I was able to gain the feeling of flow and realize some beauty in nature. Times like this allow me to reflect on things related to landscapes that I may would not have noticed.    

Tyshawn Harris Communitas

Communitas was a word I caught on to very quick because it was something I could relate to. Communitas means a group of people different people coming together for the same reason. That is popular on sports teams, churches, etc. Communitas plays an important role in peoples lives because with out people from different views coming together for some of the same things what would the world be these days. For instance, The NFL team the Saints they will have to come together this year more than every because of the bounty suspension going on without having their head coach, they will have to come together to fight and be strong without him. 

Tyshawn Harris Cold Fever

The was the strangest movies or  films I have ever seen in my life but the message was strong. It would take a movie like this to put out a message like this. What I took from this movie was never forget where you came from and never forget what you believe in. Hirata's parents have been died from some years and he still hasn't perform his ritual that his family believe in. So since he hasn't perform the ritual his parents are not resting peacefully and until he do so they won't. All the people that was at the rest stop pretty much show me that no matter what happens like the weather it should never slow you down if you have something to do thats important to you.

Tyshawn Harris Lane's 4 Axioms

In this book called Landscapes of the Sacred by Lane, he talks about these four axioms. The first axiom is "sacred place is not chosen, it chooses" which basically means that for a place to become sacred people do not say I claim this mountain sacred. It doesn't work like that, the place has to prove to you that it is sacred. It will find some way to communicate with you and when that happens it has become sacred. The second axiom is "sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary" which means that and ordinary place will stay ordinary unless people perform rituals on it. The third axiom is "sacred place can be tred upon without being entered" which means that every place can be walk on or to without being entered and how you eneter a place is by having something happen there that was expected. The fourth and last axiom is "the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal" which means that the experience you had while at a certain place happens there and once you leave it will always be with you.

Tyshawn Harris Noland Trail

The class we went to the Noland Trail was one of the best classes all year. I never been on the Noland Trail, it was something new and different. I sat and observed my surroundings it was very peaceful. The trail was something every person should get out and experience. Just the way everything is like from the water to trees, plants, animals, bridges stones, could make the Noland Trail a sacred place from someone. The way everything falls in place, how everything balances could be a great experience. I love just walking the trail it helps me take my mind off of my problems but at the same time helps me think about it and what is important. I should and just might go out there more often just to think about things. Its something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Jem Kamran- The hunger Games

            I just finished The Hunger Games. And I realized that the premise of the “utopian” society that is created by the antagonists of the book is achieved through isolation of wilderness. In the book the government has divided the country into twelve; each district specializes in a part of industry like coal, agriculture, lumber, fishing etc. By limiting people to one landscape or aspect of the natural world the government of the novel obtained the power to oppress, and control any dissidents. They have manufactured and have been able to control aspects of the natural world in order to further subdue the people for example the mockingjay birds that they have genetically modified to imitate the words that have been spoken. The governement manipulates the natural for their own devise.

           When the main character learns to escape to the wilderness to hunt and provide for her family- which is illegal to do- she realizes that there is more to life then to going along with what the Capitol says. Her entrance into the wilderness was the beginning of her revolt against the established government. So it is by no surprise that most of the characters in the book hope to one day escape to the wilderness. The wilderness becomes a symbol of hope and most importantly a symbol of freedom for them. 

            This book is first of the series and I hope to read on to find out how this theme of wilderness as a symbol of freedom  further develops through out the story.

Jordan Snider-Surfing

    Several weeks ago, my famiily and I traveled to Hatteras, North Carolina to go surfing for the weekend. This is something my dad got me involved in when I was just six years old. If you've ever been surfing, you'll understand just what I'm about to describe. The feeling of catching your first wave is something you will never forget. After you've done it once it becomes an addiction, and I've been addicted since I was six years old. There is just something about waves that draws people in. The fact of something so powerful propeling  and carrying you forward is just amazing. This is just one of Gods creations that I fell in love with. Surfing allows me to connect with Nature. It's something that clears my mind and gives me feeling of connection with the world and the worlds creator, God.

Jordan Snider-The Noland trail

The Noland trail class was probably one of my favorite class period because of how familiar I am with the trail. Every monday morning during the semester and throughout the summer I run this trail in the morning. By running this tral in the morning, I am able to experience the beauty and peacefulness because there aren't very manny people on it and there is not a whole lot going on except for nature. By running the trail alone, I am able to clear my head and get my thoughts in line. The one thing I love about the Noland Trail is that everytime I run it I notice something different. Whether its the new flowers that just bloomed or the leafs on the tree changing colors. The Noland Trail has a natural beauty that I will forever enjoy.