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Nature Can Nurture
by
Dave M. Kulhanek

Everyone has his own little space that is only his. A place where all of his secrets are revealed. It could be a certain rock on top of a mountain or in your car riding home from work. All a person needs is a place where he can take a seat as a spectator. I'm no exception; my escape from the world is my woods. Many times I have walked back there and just looked around, trying to catch a piece of advice blowing around with the leaves.

My family and I moved from my old house when I was in the fifth grade. We had built a new house on some of my dad's farm land. The move was only about two miles, and I quickly adjusted to my new home. Behind our new house is twenty acres of solitude and silence. It's a place where I know I can go and always find guidance. The woods is always there to listen, although many people would just call it a bunch of trees. Ever since we moved I have always
loved to take walks in the woods, no matter if it's sunny and ninety degrees or snowy and four
degrees below zero.

As you enter the woods you can't help but to get caught up in the moment, feeling extremely relaxed. My outlook on life changes the second I pass the first couple of trees. I feel like all my worries are lifted off my shoulders, and everything comes into perspective. Sometimes I take my dog with me on my walks, but his whole purpose when he goes in the woods is to mark as many trees as he can. The wind winds through the trees as if trying to find the way out. The enormous trees sway back and forth groaning, like old men talking back and forth to one another. Our woods consists of mostly oak and maple trees. There are a couple of lone pines, however, to decorate the woods during the winter months.

As I walk through the trails, my arms and legs brush against the sharp and dried-out sticks that have fallen from the aging trees. The spider webs that hang across the trails in the morning catch me off guard, sticking to my face as I pass by. Something just pushes me though, to keep walking and discover new wonders that lie further down zigzagging trails that try to lose me in their maze.

In the middle of the woods there is a small pond that is only about two feet deep in the center and only three hundred feet around. If I stop to look I can see all the different animal tracks that are in the mud along the edge of the small watering hole, where the animals stop to replenish themselves on their travels. The tracks show evidence of raccoons, rabbits, foxes, deer, coyotes, and even the occasional badger.

I often sit on a fallen maple tree next to the pond. The tree is about one hundred feet long and has been down for years. I like to carve words and pictures in the tree that has special meaning to me. There are names of ex-girlfriends and the names of my favorite bands. In the summer I can't stop at the pond or even slow down my walking speed as I pass, because the mosquitoes cling to me as if they had never seen a warm-blooded creature before. If I keep walking, the brush gets thicker and thicker, the trees bigger and bigger, and my mind clearer and clearer. My imagination begins to make me wonder what's under the blanket of brush that doesn't want to reveal all of its secrets. If I stand absolutely still and don't say a word all I can hear is the sound of total silence. The noises of everyday life don't reach the heart of the woods.

The smell that surrounds my nose is the scent of pure nature. The smell of the invading grass and weeds combine with the smell of the native trees to give me a complete feeling of wonder and awe. The smell of the flowers caresses my senses and confirms my belief that this is somewhere special. After only an hour in the woods I feel as if I have as much wisdom as a ninety year old man.

'In the summer months the leaves on the trees do their best to cover me from the burning sun. The rays of sun sometimes sneak through and shoot down, shining off the grass and blinding me if I catch the sparkle just right. The trees and grasses are in full swing, greening up the woods to give it a healthy and flourishing look. Many types of flowers grow in bunches in no set pattern. They layer areas of the woods, with each patch out-doing the one before. Wild windmills, violets, and buttercups combine to give me such a beautiful sigh, that I know only God himself could have planted them. The air carries the smell of moisture that tickles my nose.

In the fall the trees slowly loose their green and drop their dying leaves to the ground to insulate and protect the ground for the oncoming winter months. The leaves crunch under my feet, and I feel like I am walking on styrofoam balls. The breeze ruffles the leaves to drown out the noises of the world only one hundred feet away. With the cold weather the insects and birds can't be found anymore, which makes the woods even quieter than usual, if that's possible. The winter months bring temporary death and hibernation for life in the woods. The sun doesn't reach
the woods anymore, and the freezing cold wind bites at my nose and ears. When the spring
rolls around again, the woods slowly gain strength, estimate the damage done during the winter, and get ready for another year.

Next time you need advice or just need to get away, take a walk in a woods or park. In order to learn more about yourself, you must first learn about your surroundings. I am a very religious person and often read the Bible. It says in the Bible that if you get away from nature you get away from God, and I believe that. When I'm in the woods I feel so insignificant. I realize how little I am in the grand scheme of things. I think that everyone needs to feel like this every once in a while. It lets us have more respect for things, including ourselves.
 
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