ABC Musings

Who ever said a little randomness was a bad thing?

[braden-c-anderson]

A look back in time

This class has changed how I look at writing. I thought at the beginning that I was an okay writer. That’s what I had always been told. I was never the best in the class, but I sure wasn’t at the bottom. The biggest thing I learned is that I’m amazing in my own way. There is more to writing than the grammar and punctuation we learned through elementary school. Writing is an art form that has its own rules, rules that are made to be broken. IT. IS. OKAY. TO. BE. UNIQUE. Just like every other form of art, rules are a guidance system to teach you the basics. Each individual is then responsible to take those rules and craft them into their own masterpiece. Last semester I took a business communications class. The formality of the writing was great, it has a place, but sometimes you just have to break the rules. Sometimes you have to look something in the eye and say no. Sometimes you have to use sometimes more times in the sentence because sometimes that’s the emotion you need to convey. I look back at my writings as the semester progressed and I am thoroughly blown away. I never would have guessed I would have become so CONFIDENT as a writer. I wasn’t always on time with my projects, but unlike every other class, this wasn’t because of me being lazy. This time it was due to my desire to learn, to take the information into me and apply it. To change my writing from purely educational and “assignment driven” to writing my feelings, thoughts, and emotions. I have never been great at explaining my thoughts in written form, yet as the semester has progressed, I have seen the change happen. Today I look forward to writing. I’ve begun writing short stories and “blog posts.” My journal records have increased exponentially in their value as I have been able to express myself through the written word. Sometimes a professor enters into your life through a happy accident and they absolutely change your life. It may not seem like a big thing, but I want to take time in this simple reflection to thank my professor. I feel a confidence in my writing that has extended to my daily life. I feel more satisfied with my ability to evaluate a situation and then record those feelings. So, to my English 1010 professor, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We all have the ability to grow, to develop skills that will help us in our lives. It falls upon us to do this. Each individual person needs to take the opportunity to CHOOSE to grow. It won’t happen by accident. For me, over the last few months, I have been able to choose the development of my writing, a skill that won’t just help me in this class or in my college career, but a skill that will help me throughout the rest of my life.

[braden-c-anderson]

Technology’s effect on the World

Every one of us has our roots somewhere. Whether that is where we grew up, our hometown, or where we found love, our roots run deep. There is a reason we planted them there. Something led us to choose THAT PLACE to call home. Our homes can be a variety of different places, yet there is a common thread that ties them all together. Nature. In some form or another, there is nature in our roots. Natural relations between family members and friends, a secret spot in the woods where we run to play or escape, a particular taste that comforts us and fills us with hope. As we analyze this idea of nature being a part of our roots, we find more and more evidence that nature IS our roots. What happens if you remove all “natural” things from our lives. The first thing that comes to mind is the so-called “great outdoors.” If we take nature away, if we lose the soft breeze blowing through the grass, the love songs of birds in the early hours, the hunting call of wolves after sunset, what happens? Scientists will cry out about a total collapse of the ecosystem, an end of life as we know it. But beyond that, beyond the scientific world, what do we lose? Memories. Fears. Beauty. All of the things we fight so hard to gain, gone in the blink of an eye. Who doesn’t have a memory of being a child, running around in the woods full of laughter. Not worried about paying a mortgage or finding a job, just loving the life we have. Who isn’t, at one point or another, afraid of the dark? Terrified of not knowing what could be lurking around the next corner, mere inches from your face? Some will laugh and say “But without fear I would have done more, experienced more.” But what we lose from that natural fear of lightning or darkness is deeper than that sense of insecurity. We lose our motivation to discover, to find out more about what ails us and to overcome that! Personally I wouldn’t know half as much about the world as I do if I weren’t afraid of the dark. The beauty lost is self-evident. Who hasn’t stood in awe at a landscape, in person or painted? When we remove nature, we remove the landscape that inspires artists and authors, businessmen and adventurers. What if we remove our natural relationships? What if we take away that friend who has been there for you through thick and thin, who always has your back? We lose trust, joy, and love. We lose the capability to relate. We trap ourselves in a world of “fake” people. Every relationship becomes artificial. Think back to that time your parents forced you off to camp. You knew nobody. You felt alone. The directors paired you up with random people you had never met. You got along because you HAD TO. That is a world without natural relationships. Now remember that ONE person you connected with at camp, who you grew to love. You may still have contact with them, you think about them. You became true friends. Something about your two personalities clicked and a relationship developed. That is a natural relationship. That is what you lose. So what’s the point? Why talk about nature when talking about technology. We first have to look at the world. It’s pretty easy to see that the world and nature are very connected. Easily we can see in the first instance that the natural outdoors is the world as commonly defined. If we look to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for a definition of the world, we readily see this relationship. 1) “The earth and all the people and things on it.” The great-outdoors is the things on the earth, the abundance of life in the rainforests. The lack thereof in the Antarctic desert. This is the world. Again turning to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary we can see that our second example, that of relationships, is also a key definition of the world. The world is defined as follows: 2)  “The people in the world.” This simple definition builds upon the first, using the word “world” to reference the earth. It’s clear now to see that the people of the world, every person to ever have graced the earth with their presence, was thus a part of the world. Our relationships with one another are a vital part of the world. Without them, chaos would rule. Civilization would be impossible and healthy reproduction would cease. Any relationship that ventured into the physical realm would be purely pleasure based, resulting in a decrease in births and eventual decline into primitive nature. Technology is ruining the world. We, as a society, have gone past the healthy limits of technology and are entering into a dangerous realm of degradation of the world around us. The sad thing is, the majority of us are too absorbed in said technology to notice. We have become so preoccupied in our personal technological world, so addicted to our screens, cars, and electricity that we are failing to see the destruction of the world because of it. How? Nature is straining under the weight of our neglect, her cries for help falling upon ears stuffed full of earpods or covered with headphones. Let’s take a look at what’s happening. With our eyes trained upon our devices or fixed to the road as we drive, we are no longer taking time to enjoy the natural world around us. Children are growing up without ever needing to venture outside. They are “stimulated” in their own worlds, often spending hours on end devouring animated videos or tapping away at visual monsters. I recall that my childhood was often spent devouring random plants and dirt or prodding dead animals with a stick. These differences, though seemingly simple, changed my outlook for life. What happens when we remove that? We destroy that connection we have to the outside, to those plants and animals. Though my connection was primitive, and to some disgusting, I know more about the world now because of it. I have a desire to spend time outside exploring, something that the children of today are lacking. The connection between people and nature is degrading at an exponential rate. Beyond the connection aspect, people are being worse stewards over the earth. When people don’t have to see the outside, they don’t have to deal with it. The care put into yards (where people still have them) is declining. The days of having a yard to be proud of are seemingly in the past. When one isn’t willing to take care of their personal space, they will be hard-pressed to care for the public areas others are more likely to use. We go to any length to further our technological capabilities, including the destruction of the natural landscape. How often do we have a face to face conversation in today’s age? When the world is moving at it’s normal break-neck speed, are we ever stopping to sit down and discuss something over lunch? Are we taking time to learn somebody else’s REASONS for their opinions? Technology has made it extremely easy for us to bypass these “unnecessary” steps and move straight to solutions. But are these solutions the best things in all situations? Our ability to compromise is diminishing. We are becoming polarized in all aspects, and that is in large part because of the influence of technology on us 24/7. Information is thrown in our face within seconds, often before any investigation has occured on the subject. We gather information and form opinions. Our mind is made up before we have the chance to discuss with anyone. We can skip the discussion BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW. Our relationships are suffering. Gone are the days of healthy debates where both sides grow and progress. Lunch with friends to catch up on old times are all but extinct. We don’t need relationships because we have technology. We don’t need to be face to face with friends because we can text them, or better yet, look at their social media posts. And slowly, even those strong relationships we have begin to deteriorate to nothingness, to become a thought of the past. Technology is destroying the world. It is deteriorating our connection to the outdoors, to nature. It is diminishing the value of our natural relationships. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, we have knocked off the top two definitions of the world. Technology is destroying those things that make up this world. And yet, it still goes further. Because nature is the key component of our roots. In one way or another, we are all tied to nature. Whether the great-outdoors are our home, or the people we grew up with, the relationships we cherished, nature is at the heart of them. Technology, in destroying the world, is destroying each of our individual roots. The Bible may teach the danger of this phenomena better than any other book. “But when the sun was up [when life gets hard], it was scorched; and because it had no root [because we allowed technology to destroy our roots], it [we] withered away.” (Mark 4:6). Without a re-evaluation of our use of technology, we are all headed for a very difficult life in a decimated world.

“The world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20world. Accessed 27 Apr. 2020. The Holy Bible, King James Version, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

[braden-c-anderson]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints view on Nature

I took some time reading about the LDS views on nature and one article in particular stood out to me. It is entitled “In Honoring Creation, We Honor the Creator.” We believe that God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ, created the earth. “Latter-day Saint teachings are unequivocal—we all have a responsibility to care for God’s majestic creation and to use its resources ‘with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion’ (D&C 59:20).” This quote sums up much of what I personally believe regarding our stewardship over the earth. Regardless of religious backgrounds or beliefs regarding the creation of the earth, we find beauty in our surroundings. We marvel at the abundance of flowers and the songs of the birds. It is our responsibility to watch over the earth and protect it, not just for ourselves but for the future inhabitants. “We should live for future generations, not just for our own. This means learning about the earth and having a responsible relationship with it(...)”

As a society, we are not doing as well as we ought to be. In 1976, Spencer W. Kimball recalled, “I have traveled much in various assignments over the years, and when I pass through the lovely countryside or fly over the vast and beautiful expanses of our globe, I compare these beauties with many of the dark and miserable practices of men, and I have the feeling that the good earth can hardly bear our presence upon it.” (False Gods we Worship, 1976). Some may argue that these “dark and miserable practices” are talk of sin, but what is more dark than the literal darkening of our skies with smog, the dumping of our waste into the oceans. The view of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of preservation, of caring for the earth knowing that humans have dominion “over all the earth” (Genesis 1:26)

[braden-c-anderson]

Soccer Community Growth

Over the last 4 years I have had the amazing opportunity to participate and now lead one of, in my opinion, the greatest discourse communities in the country. The sole focus of the community is the growth of soccer in the United States and Canada. Though this group has a multinational focus, it is widely accepted that no large scale growth is possible without constant effort to develop the game locally. As this has been a focus of the community, massive changes have already taken place. Within the last 10 years, growth has been exponential.

It’s helpful to look back at the origin of this community when looking at it’s interesting methodology for discussion. In doing so, I look to the origin of Major League Soccer [MLS] in the United States. The MLS was created and began play in 1996. For the sake of comparison, the National Basketball Association [NBA] began in 1946, the National Football League [NFL] in 1920, and Major League Baseball [MLB] in 1901. When you look at these major sporting leagues from the United States, the MLS is extremely young. This age difference has been one of the major reasons why soccer is seen as a “child’s sport” by many across the country. In the late 1990s, soccer was growing and fans needed a place to go to discuss their teams. This resulted in several discourse groups across the country which eventually grew into a large group that stretched across the nation. Each group focused on their respective teams, but came together to discuss soccer as a whole. This laid the foundation for the discourse community I am a part of today. At a national level, people began discussing ways to spread the love of the game throughout the country. Those same people who discussed nationally took their ideas to the local level, creating the community that exists today.

People from all walks of life have come to call this community home. Some fell in love with the game as children, playing their entire lives as “outcasts” from the common sport world. Others found the game later in life through a friend, a child, or a random tv channel. Still others come from a country where the entire world revolves around soccer. These different people from all different walks of life have helped to shed new light on the subject of growth, providing new insight as to what works and what doesn’t. This cultural diversity is one of the reasons so much progress is being made in relation to the goal of the community. We don’t all have the same background and we have the capability to discuss and develop ideas. Differences in opinion only further the progress we can make.

One of the central focuses of our community is raising the number of supporters for clubs both locally and nationally. Unlike the NBA and NFL where tens of thousands of people flock to games, soccer in the US is faced with stagnant numbers. This is most prevalent, however, at the local level. As a prior high school varsity player, it was always disheartening to see the dismal support we received from our peers and local community. At my high school, no major men’s sport teams have won consecutive region championships, let alone a state championship with the exception of soccer. In fact, during my three years attending the high school, the football team won a total of 2 home games (of 18), winning 3 over that span. Soccer not only won the region, but made the state semi-finals. And yet, an average of 5 students attended home games in comparison to the hundreds that attended football games. In the discourse community, we often discuss challenges like this. Is it cultural or do people just not like soccer? These questions are thrown around everyday as we try to find solutions.

One topic that has been put into practice recently has been the concept of making the game more accessible on a local level. Professional sports are great in their appeal, but they often create a break between the people and the athletes. One method that has been widely applied in recent times has been to form leagues at the local level, drawing on players from the neighboring communities to fill teams in the hope that by knowing people who play competitively, others will be drawn to look into the sport. Individual local clubs have been formed in the hopes that people will develop a love for the game as they build a portfolio or identity for themselves.

One negative side of the community is the tendency people have to tear down other sports in their attempts to build up soccer. Some people call for rather harsh actions in attempts to “cripple” other leagues, both locally and nationally. As one of those who are revered as a “leader” in the discourse community, it is vital that we do not harm others in our attempts to progress. This principle applies in every aspect of human life. We shouldn’t seek to better ourselves at the expense of others. This is the spirit we try to hold in the community, one of inclusion and support. The same inclusion and support we seek from other sporting communities, the support we are finally starting to see.

Seeing how this community has developed over the years I have been involved gives me great hope that continued success will come as we work together. It has built a great network of people who have the same interests, people who are willing to help others they have something in common with. The possibilities are endless when people are willing to sit down and converse one with another. The art of discussing, evaluating, and compromising is suffering in today’s society. People have become too polarized, focusing only on their views without taking time to evaluate what others have to say. It is creating a toxic environment where no progress can be made because no discourse is had.

[braden-c-anderson]

The Night Sky

I spent a few hours watching the sky from my home in the city and a few watching from a rural farm town, and boy do I love the countryside. The beauty of the stars is unmatched. It’s almost as if you could reach up and grab something, and that is completely lost when you are stuck in the city. I’m grateful I live far enough away from a “major” city that I can still see something, but so much is lost with the amount of light energy we produce.

The feeling of laying there, looking up at the night sky, and seeing millions of stars is mind boggling. The far reaching arm of the Milky Way, the little twinkle of the pulsating stars, the majesty of a comet as it rushes by or a meteor as it falls. These are the little things that we take for granted. And yet they are the same things that blow our minds when we take a minute to think of them. I counted moving objects (shooting starts, satellites, etc) that I saw in both locations to see how much more was visible in the mountains, and it wasn’t even close. I saw 5 in two hours at home, whereas I saw 52 in in the country. The capability to see was so greatly improved.

I’ve spent my entire childhood out under the stars, camping and talking with my friends and family, but sights such as the one I saw will never grow old. On the contrary, I have come to appreciate it even more the more often I am out there.

[braden-c-anderson]

A day without Tech

I had planned to do this day during March when I knew I wouldn’t have homework to do, but it got significantly harder when schooling moved completely online. I was, however, able to do it, and it was wonderful. I knew phones and computers were addicting, and that it is important to unplug completely, but I hadn’t done so since I returned from my mission in August. Taking so 24 hours to completely unplug myself, to be without any form of technology or screen (minus the door screen I walked through) time, relieved a lot of the stress that had built up inside me. I felt free, almost as if someone had given me new meaning. I wanted to go and do. Do what? I had no idea, but I just wanted to be out doing something. It was amazing. My appreciation for this project only grew as I did it during the quarantine time. I was able to have an amazing conversation with each of my siblings and parents. I can honestly say I learned something from and about each of them, things that have helped me be a better brother and son, someone who can be there to help them regardless of the situation, because I know what they like or how they will respond best to certain things. I think this was absolutely the best time to take this challenge. When it is so easy to grab a phone or watch a video to take our minds off of the circumstances. I read a book I chose for the first time in ages and reconnected with a part of me I thought was lost forever to the world of technology.

[braden-c-anderson]

My Night Walk

I went up to do some snowshoeing at my cabin in the mountains and camped in my car for the night. I was “camping” in a little town, and decided to walk from there to the neighboring town in the dead of night. It was bone cold and dark so after taking the necessary precautions, I set off and had a wonderful night. In all it took around 4 hours round trip, but it seemed to go so much faster. As I walked I was greeted by all sorts of wildlife, from raccoons to deer, a few foxes and moose. I had my flashlight, pistol, and reflectors on as I went, and as I approached, the majority of the animals quickly retreated, but I had a few amazing experiences with them. It really taught me that we are all in this world together, humans and animals. Here to grow and learn.

One of the younger deer that were around gazed at me when I saw him, which gave the perfect opportunity to catch a photo. After I had put my camera away I stood still, watching them move around, as the young deer came closer to me. It was about 5 feet away before it turned and hopped off the other way.

On my return trip I saw a majestic bull moose running through the field. It moved so fast and for a bit it was difficult to see in the dark, but it neared the road on the opposite side of me. As it reached the dimly lit street it turned away from me and ran back toward Oakley, its damp coat glistening in the light.

The final encounter I had was with a little fox. It ran by and froze when it saw me. It was almost as if it posed for me while I took its picture before running towards me, right through my legs and into the night. I watched it disappear into the bushes as I continued to my car, only to turn around and see the same fox following me from a distance and then bolting into the night.

[braden-c-anderson]

Where our values are

Well, obviously perspective is everything, but what stood out most to me from this article was the section on where family ranks in the workplace. Personally, I value family more than anything. Before any career success, before a massive assembly of 'things,' I want a loving family. For me, that at the top of my list. Nothing is more important than family in my eyes, and I am willing to give a lot up for them. The fact that my responsibility to my family could be (and often is) seen as a "unproductive" use of time in the business world shows me that there are major problems with society. I understand that there is a need to be productive, but when one "optional" task such as running is valued over another "optional" task in raising a family, there are deep-rooted problems. Problems that start with societies evil view regarding the family.

We all came from a family. We all have, in some degree, a love for where we came from. There are people we look up to, be it parents who raised us, grandparents who stepped in, neighbors, friends; there are always people who helped us growing up, we all had a family. That should be Central in the world. It shouldn't be used as an excuse, but it should at least be accepted as being on the same level as other free-time activities. As I've watched friends grow up, get married, and have kids, I can confidently say that it requires more work to be a good husband, father, and brother than it does to become a marathon runner, a gardener, or a social activist. And honestly, it is more important to be a good father than to do any of those other things, combined.

[braden-c-anderson]

A rhetorical analysis of the “Last Child in the Woods” cover page

Richard Louv is a nonfiction author who focuses on the relationship between humans and the world around them. His most well known work, “Last Child in the Woods,” has been the source of strength for thousands as they combat the prejudices and patterns of the world we live in. At the same time, this exact work has been hotly contested for its strong views on the subject. For this reason, I feel it is valuable to analyze the cover of the book, as it is teeming with rhetorical features and on its own is quite thought provoking.

The color organization of the book is quite simple, setting a light, faded green over a ‘forest green.’ In the light green are simple leaf imprints, such as those often related to fossils. By using such a color palette, Louv is attempting to tug at our memories of days long past. Days that were spent running around between the trees. Summer nights on the deep green lawn. Memories of fantasy worlds teeming with greenery and life. Seeing such a color combination, combined with the leaves scattered throughout the lighter green, provides us with an idea of where he is going with this book, without even reading the title. He wants us to be in a simpler place, a natural place, before we even discover the topic of the book.

On the cover, there are two phrases that are made to intentionally stand out, designed so we see these five words before even the title. These phrases serve different purposes, and thus deserve to be broken down individually. The phrases are as follows: “National Bestseller” and “Updated and Expanded.” 

“National Bestseller,” written across the top of the cover, serves a very important purpose for Louv. This ‘argument’ is designed to bring ethos into his design. If his book is on the top of a bestseller list, it must be good. We are a people who often are caught in the crowd. If everyone else is doing it, then it must be right. If everyone is buying this book, it must be credible right? By placing this along the top and in red, Louv is showing that his book is credible, at least as far as our crowd ‘genes’ are concerned.

“Updated and Expanded” is a logical move. More information is good. If we are standing in the nonfiction section of a bookstore or library, we are looking to expand our knowledge of the world around us. An expanded book must contain what we are looking for. If someone knows enough to expand a book on a subject, then they certainly know enough to expand my limited knowledge on whatever the subject is. Add on top of that the logic of updating and you have yourself a book that must be read. If a book is being updated, it is, in a sense, living. We are a society of consumers. We want the newest thing, all the time. A new phone every six months just because some services have been updated. Homework is put on hold purely because we are updating the operating system on our phone. If someone offers you an updated book, you would be foolish not to take it, because it has something no other book has, otherwise it wouldn’t be updated. By including that simple phrase, Louv is laying the logical groundwork to entice people to purchase his book. By offsetting it in a red callout, we are drawn to that fact and we no longer can deny it.

Located in the center of the cover there is a single, simple picture. A young child’s face is shown inches from the small frog which he is holding. Everyone remembers a time when they were curious. There is always a part of people that wonders, be it about the twinkling of the stars, the way in which the wind blows through the trees, what happens to us after we die, we all seek after some kind of knowledge, some answer. In this picture, Louv is showing this curiosity in the simplest, most recognizable way. The curiosity of a child often knows no bounds, they are exploring the world for the first time. It sparks a desire in us to discover, to go and find out more.

We, in some way or another, fear the end. We fear the unknown. We, to some degree, fear being the last in anything. Born from early competitions or the inherited need to survive, we don’t want to be the last. Richard Louv knows this, for he is human too. He suffers from the same fears, known or not. By saying that there is a last of anything, he is utilizing that fear. Placed at the start of his title, the word last causes something to stir in us. We want to know what led to there only being one left. That coupled with children is shocking. We are born with an urge, a desire to help children. As we grow, that becomes more prevalent. Simply stating there is only one child left, a “Last Child,” causes us to worry about them. Are they okay? Are they going to survive? What can I do about it? Children are the future. Whatever one believes, we must acknowledge that without children, there isn’t much hope for a brighter future. Richard Louv uses this pathological tactic, this desire we have for a better future, to draw our attention to his book. We need to help that last child with whatever they are doing.

In his subtitle, Louv again emphasizes this need to help children. This time, however, it is very straightforward. “Saving our children” are his words. Again, this use of pathos encourages us to learn more, to find out what is happening to these children and what we can do to help them.

The final phrase in his subtitle contains potentially the most remarkable display of using rhetorical strategies to persuade others to read his book. “Nature-deficit disorder.” With three words, Louv is tying in Logos, Ethos, and Pathos into his argument. For example, logically we look at this phrase and see a deficit. All through child and adulthood we are told that being deficient in anything is a bad thing. Anemia is an iron deficiency which is detrimental to growth. Hypocalcemia is a common disease caused by a calcium deficiency. Every time we are deficient in something, whenever a deficit is present, we try to make up for that. In arguing that there is a disorder caused by being deficient in nature, Richard Louv is calling upon our logic to draw conclusions. The term disorder is used frequently in the medical world. From bipolar disorder to eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder to obsessive-compulsive disorder, doctors and specialists around the world use the world. By using it is his title, Louv makes a very strong ethos appeal, calling upon us view his work as something credible. He is implying that this disorder is serious, but there are things that can be done for it. In the beginning of this analysis, I drew upon the pathological effect of Louv’s use of nature. Again he uses it, this time written, to take us to those places of memory. He cleanly ties up his rhetorical appeal by bringing all three common sides together in one.

Richard Louv displays a mastery of using rhetorical appeals. The cover alone is teeming with them. I didn’t deeply discuss the kairos of his cover, but that is not to say it is non-existent. I purely chose to focus on the ethos, pathos, and logos. If there is so much rhetoric in the cover alone, one can only imagine the depths of rhetoric which is applied in the full text of the book.

[braden-c-anderson]

Walking to soccer training:

Three days out of the week I have to go to training at local park in a neighboring city. Since starting this class, I made it a goal to walk out there at least once a week. From my house it takes about 90 minutes to walk out there. Some would argue that this particular stretch of road is rather boring, lacking anything noteworthy. Though this has been extremely difficult for me, requiring me to plan in advance what I was going to do during the day, it has opened my eyes to the simple beauty of the earth. The stretch consists of nothing but dirt fields during the late winter/early spring. What I saw, however, wasn’t endless piles of dirt, but rather a diverse ecosystem. Once the snow had melted, I saw dozens of different bugs running around, birds hopping here and there, and even the occasional fox or deer roaming slowly through the dirt. How many of these places do we miss because we are driving at breakneck speeds through the world rather than looking at what is all around us? Why do we long to visit far away places with diverse wildlife when we can go in our own backyards, flip over a rock, and see wonderful creatures right there? Maybe if we took time to watch over our own backyards, more wildlife would be free to come and enjoy, making our own everyday lives more diverse.

[braden-c-anderson]

Quiet contemplation in Spanish Fork Canyon

I took a little drive and ended up stopping somewhere up Spanish Fork Canyon. I powered off my phone and sat outside on a log for 90 minutes. During that time, my mind was opened to so many great things. Throughout the time spent there, I rotated through many ‘thought channels,’ everything from what I should major in to if I should move out of state. I wish I could say that everything worked out, that I knew everything I needed and wanted to do. Alas, in most areas, I have no idea what I want to do. But what I did find was a way I could clear my mind and really think about one thing. After rotating through the many things on my mind, it was as if everything was gone. For the life of me, I couldn’t think of something that was bothering me. I was able to spend some time letting the air refresh me. After I felt recharged, I was able to choose what problem I wanted to tackle. The birds flying around, the mice running about, the wind in the trees, everything fed my peace and I was able to break down the problem. And though I was able to find a solution to my problem, the greatest thing I learned was the ability to clear my mind and deconstruct a situation, to allow my mind to break it down with no other distractions.

[braden-c-anderson]

We can bounce back

I went up Bell Canyon for a “river walk.” I followed the creek from the base to the waterfall, avoiding popular trails to allow myself with separation and undisturbed nature. It was beautiful. Along the way I made the conscious effort to stop every 20 minutes and just sit there for at least 15 minutes. Those 15 minute periods were the most amazing. Watching how the creek flowed so gently over the rocks and sped up around the turns really made me realize how prepared we have to be for life. I would set a leaf in the water and watch it float carelessly down the creek until a sudden turn forced it to the side. It often submerged, remaining under for a few seconds before resurfacing and continuing on its merry way. Oftentimes, life puts us through similar situations. We think we are going to be just fine and we float along this river of life. Eventually something comes up that throws us under for a little bit. Whether it’s the loss of a job or the death of a family member, we can feel as though life is drowning us. But every single time we go under, we will resurface. We are able to rebound and keep going. But unlike these leaves, we are able to prepare. We can look at these situations and prepare. This doesn’t mean we won’t get pushed under on occasion, but we know we will rebound and it makes the entire fiasco less stressful. Nature shows us the way so often, we just have to take time to slow down and look.

[braden-c-anderson]

Get out - break the monotony

It’s amazing how much of a difference an hour outside can make on an individual’s psyche. Humans like to think we are in control, that we are able to maintain the same “head space” or focus no matter the circumstances. This week I had the opportunity to change someone’s circumstances, which allowed me to really see the change that can occur.

We are all in a weird state of limbo right now. With the Coronavirus and associated precautions, many people have been removed from their daily lives. I was able to take 5 of my friends on guided excursions up Bell Canyon this last week in an attempt to break up the monotony of the world we are currently living in. Of these 5 friends, 1 had minimal experience in back-country hiking. The others had none. Though they didn’t come back down the mountain experts in back-country survival, they all came back different. What changed was their mentality. They looked at this situation as an opportunity to recharge, to gain skills; rather than a mandatory lock down they have no control over. As I’ve talked with them since, they are more full of life. I love how when we are able to “reconnect” with our natural side, when we can have time to just ponder in nature, we are more likely to find happiness and enjoyment in our day-to-day lives.

[braden-c-anderson]

The death of a Star

As a society, we have an inherent appetite for the nicer things in life. From cars to food, we are always looking for the best things in life. But how do we determine which of these things are the best? We, as a general population, are able to place a relative, generally accepted value on some things, such as a home or a car, and yet, even then those things are relative to the person looking at them. However, even more difficult than placing a value on such physical commodities, we attempt to determine which restaurants make the best food.

For nearly 100 years, the Michelin Guide has been awarding stars to the "best" restaurants from around the world. Each star brings with it a prestige throughout the culinary world, driven solely by the respect given these stars by the general population. We hold places we will likely never visit in such high regard that we tend to base our other culinary experiences off of them. The Michelin Guide, a travel brochure, first started rating restaurants with stars in 1926 as a way to guide their customers to high quality restaurants that they should try while vacationing. Over time, these ratings have taken control of the culinary industry.

Unknown critics come into restaurants and partake of a meal and then leave, unknown to the owner of the restaurant. They write their review which can completely alters the future of the restaurant.  

Culinary hopefuls dedicate their lives, beginning with their early education, to the pursuit of these stars. What is truly nothing more than a five-pointed shape on a page in a magazine defines the careers of so many people. People spend hours a day in hot, cramped kitchens cooking for someone they never knew were coming. For many chefs, this requires a sacrifice greater than most people are willing to give.

Why have we allowed the Michelin star to become the schoolmaster of our opinion? What has led us to submitting our conscious to the opinion of unnamed "Inspectors" (as they are called by the Michelin Guide)? Our human lust for the good things in life has opened this door for the Michelin company to capitalize. They have taken advantage of the thirst for perceived quality and turned it to their own financial gain. And as a society, we have allowed them that power.

The fervor of society in general to have all the good things in the world has created a situation where a star can define a person. We have lost touch with many of the great "Mom and Pop" joints around the world because they do not have a star in a magazine the majority of us never read. We trade our God-given right to choose and form our own opinions to a company for a chance to satisfy our pride in looking like the "top dog" in our social standing.

It has grown to the point that the Michelin star has so much power that, though the vast majority of people on the planet will never set foot inside a starred restaurant, we create a mental barrier between our self-defined expectation for greatness and the simple beauty of the restaurants all around us. We refuse to acknowledge the magnificence of the local restaurants only our local community can truly enjoy in an attempt to gratify the societal view of "top-class dining."

This stress that we have placed upon the Michelin star has now begun to show itself among some of the greats in the culinary world. Within the past few years, chefs held in high regard among the Michelin community have handed in their stars, claiming the requirements to maintain them were too great; the sacrifices that were being made for holding onto stars resulted in them losing their love for cooking. They are handing in their "3 star" aprons for a life of a small town chef, cooking for a local community rather than on the world's biggest stages. The Michelin star, however manipulative and abusive it has been over the last 100 years, is beginning to finally benefit society. Unfortunately for the Michelin Guide and its Inspectors however, this societal benefit is actually more of a parasitic byproduct of their efforts to control the dining industry. As the culinary industry grows more diverse, seeing more "hometown" restaurants open, the Michelin star is losing its power. As chefs realize they don't need the Michelin star to be successful and they gain the courage and strength to open their own restaurants, furthering the development and diversity of the culinary community, the Michelin star continues to fade into obscurity.

And just maybe, that's exactly how it should be.

[braden-c-anderson]

"Visits to parks are down. So are visits to our backyard. One survey found that only 10 percent of American teens spend time outside every day." This is shocking.

I grew up essentially living outside. From the neighborhood park to my backyard, being inside was saved for severe lightning storms and really nothing else. We lived for the times when we would have torrential downpours so we could go to the park and slide down the hill. Blizzards meant the ultimate snowball fight with low visibility and an endless supply of ammo. Sunny days meant sprinklers and basketball. My parents were big advocates of this, often running around with us, laughing, playing. They showed us that having fun outdoors was for everyone.

As I grew up, this mindless frolicking outdoors evolved into planned camping trips, hiking adventures, and fishing explorations. We never did the same thing twice. I discovered the diversity of the outdoors, the ability we have of constantly "doing" and never running out of new things to do. I came to know the power of parks at a very young age and that shaped me into who I am today.

As we look at current events, we are in dire need of two things. Namely, we need to distance ourselves from others while not developing severe anxiety and depression as a society. As was stated in one Finnish study, just a 40 minute walk outdoors has the capability to cause positive mental and physiological changes. If something that is as simple as a stroll through nature can cause positive changes to occur, imagine what an hour of exploration in the great outdoors could provide.

What we need to do is get outside but be responsible, watching out for the health of others. But being responsible in nature isn't really a new concept, is it?

[braden-c-anderson]

What is adventure? Be honest with yourself. What needs to be present in an activity for you to consider it an adventure? Let me tell you, it's simpler than you think.

Everyone thinks adventure requires some awe-inspiring sight, or a near-death experience. I'm here to tell you that's wrong.

What I’m trying to say is, adventure is all in our minds. There are endless opportunities to have an adventure, we just have to try. Think of the children in your lives. How are they able to entertain themselves for HOURS on end with nothing more than a cardboard box? They use their imaginations to create an adventure.

"But I have work." "School takes too much time and energy." "I'm too busy to go out and make an adventure." Why would that matter? You can make an adventure in your own kitchen! Make a new recipe! Try new food!

I know so many people who are envious of those who "have everything" and are "so happy." When I talk with them about how they use their time, can you guess what they say? The majority of their time is spent watching a movie, scrolling through social media, or playing video games. It can be hard to have a full, adventure-filled life when we are living someone else's fantasy. So, what do we do now? Go make an adventure! Everyday can be full of excitement if we search it out.

blogofalltrades.weebly.com

[braden-c-anderson]

The Edge of the World

Have you ever wondered where the "edge of the world" is? I for one, seek to be there. I want to find and live at the edge of the world.

I can already hear you all. "But the world's round." "It doesn't have an edge." I'm not talking about a geographical location, rather a mental one. It's that moment when you finally separate yourself from the materialistic, instant gratification seeking world we live in and truly get in touch with yourself. The edge is where miracles happen, where we are changed.

We can find the edge when we disconnect from our phones and look around. It's as simple as seeing the newly blossoming flowers or admiring the vibrant colors of an autumn leaf. What happens in these moments define us. We can be happy even in the simplest of times.

When was the last time you sat outside and just listened? Not searching for something, not working in the yard, not going on a paved trail, but just listening to the world move. The distant hum of a car; the melodious chirping of a bird. When did you last sit outside after sunset and gaze up at the stars? When did you last see the wind blow across the landscape, the trees gently bending, trying to follow that soft summer breeze? Have you ever looked outside during a snow storm and felt the flakes float through your mind?

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at how they spend their time. Those who are always so full of happiness seem to spend a lot of time living at the edge of the world.

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