SiMpLe WoNdErS!

Life was so simple there. Up in the mountains. It was quiet, blissful and worry free. I would wake up in the morning on my own, the sun shinning through the old pink curtains, and birds singing in the background. I never had to worry about how I looked, it didn't matter, I wasn't there to impress anyone. It was a time just to enjoy the beauty of nature that some how always seems to be taken for granted. My cabin, located a few miles out of Evanston Wyoming, in not much. A few logs here and there. It has running water, indoor bathrooms and even a television. Surrounded by trees, no neighbors close by. Its wonderful. And its an escape from the fast moving life of the city. Being up there clears your mind and opens you eyes wide to the beautiful world around you. There are small animals that hang out around the cabin and on the small deck. My grandfather has made every little nick-nack to make the little animals feel like they live in a food frenzy theme park. I love to sit and watch them scurry around, chasing each other up and down the tall evergreen trees. Just up the road is a lake. I spent two of my three day escape enjoying its wonders. The first day it was cold, but not the type of cold that would send chills running through my body like an electrifying shock from a lightning bolt. Just enough to wear a sweatshirt. The lake was quiet. Resting in between a bed of green. A thick layer of grey clouds made a blanket in the sky.
Then it started to rain. While others around me rushed around to pack their things up and save their hair, I just sat there, on the log that had been my coach for the last few hours. The rain poured down upon the still lake. Rings circled around the center point each drop made. Its was amazing. Breath taking and Pure. The second day was quite the opposite. The sun peaked out from the clouds all day. Warming the earth enough that the flowers bloomed and seemed to smile up at the sun like they haven't seen their close friend for a few days. I could do nothing but smile and absorb the sun's beaming rays. I was sad to go. I got home today. Its not the same, but looking out my bedroom window I noticed the details in the huge mountains that lay across a blue sky. Their beauty more pronounced today.

While up in a little cottage in the woods I watched the opening show of the 2008 Beijing (Bay-Jing) Olympics. I watched through the dirty screen of a television while my dad was there, living the moment. It was truly a well done event. Magical even. I cant believe that they had 15,000 cast members. All together. Like one heart beating. I was impressed. I love to watch the different athletes walk in. Witnessing their outfits, flags, personalities, and reaction to the large crowd and performance. The story of the little boy who walked in with China made my heart sink. He was nine years old, and a survivor of the terrifying earthquake that shook the ground of china a few weeks back. He dug himself out of the rubble and then went back to save to of his friends. When a nearby reporter asked him why he went back his response was simple "I went back cause Im the hall monitor. Its my job." It showed the compassion and respect this young kid had. His story is one that should be always told. Its a story of survival and its a story of heart. We could all learn something from someone so small.