Although I am a Liberal, and a believer in conservation, and using renewable energy, I never believed myself to be a "tree-huger". Meaning my point of view of why we should use renewable energy was not set on global warming, or none of that. It was always the idea of the cost saving, and getting out of the Middle East as fast as possible. I always supported ideas and agendas that pushed for the reduction of carbon emissions, but it was never my forefront issue when it came to conservation. But this past Tuesday changed that.
This past Tuesday (Oct. 6) I turned 21 years old, and like every other 21 year old, I had it set on going and drinking a few too many with some friends, and enjoying life, but what ensued was something that changed my life.
And no this is not, "Don't drink and do this" type of diary, as I didn't drive, the person who was driving was sober, and I didn't do anything I really regret, I just had an experience everyone should have.
After reading this back over, I realized that I repeated the word beauty or beautiful a lot, the main reason is there really is no better word to describe what I saw. It is a sight that will always live with me. Always.
It started with my friend, Josh, coming into my work with a big smile on his face saying we got the beer and you better at my house. I keep assuring him I will be out there, and we talked for a little bit before he left, and I finished my shift out.
After making it out to his house, me, him, and a couple of our friends enjoyed some laughs, beer, music; Basically the typical small town way to celebrate a 21 year old's birthday. One of my buddy's, Dusty, (Who also lives at this house) wanted to take his dog out to the hills and let her run around for a little bit, so we all agreed, and my sober friend, Greg, got his truck ready, and we loaded the dog up. Because the dog hates being in the back of truck me and my friend decided we would seat in the back with her, so she doesn't freak out the entire time.
We drove up some gravel road holler known to most of the area as Indian Run. We got out and let the dog run, as we enjoyed some more beers (Yes illegal I know, but it was my 21'st and we didn't really care). Then one of Greg's buddy from work, Rod, pulled up his Ford, and since Greg had a GM, it turned into who's truck is better match, basically the usual Ford, GM fight.
So they decided the best way to settle it is to go mudding. Whoever can make it through the most puddles is the winner. (Did I mention I am friends with rednecks?) So we took off, with me and Josh and the dog in the back of the GM, driving some trails I have never seen before in my life, and pretty much is the setting for every scary movie ever written. (Pitch black, deep forest, miles from anyone, and rolling hills, they could have filmed anything there and it would become a scary movie). But even with that thought going in the back of my head, I just couldn't believe how beautiful it was out there. Now I have been night fishing, camping, you name it I have done it out in the middle of nowhere in the pitch black, but for some reason this time seemed different.
This is not an image of mine, I am basically trying to convey the image I saw that night:
Well after making it to the biggest mud hole we could possible find, Rod decided he would go first, well after several valiant attempts, his Ford was stuck, stalled, covered in mud, and out of commission for the night being. So we (Greg, Josh, and me) had to run back to Dusty's house to get the chain to pull them out. So as we are speeding down the back country roads, on a chilly October night, I couldn't help but look up at the sky. You can see the tree lines, and just over top of them you could see every star in the sky, bright and beautiful, just like nature intended. The entire trip I stayed looking up, until all of sudden some object started blocking my view, and the stars lost their shine just a little bit, and a look back down and I see the only thing that could ruin that beautiful sight: It was houses, street lights, and town coming closer and closer to us.
This not an image taken by me, but it is as close to what I saw, as I can find:
At that very point I realized what we were doing to nature. Not only are we warming it, killing it, ignoring it's plea for help, we are deny most of us the chance to ever see a sky like that, to see a tree line like that, to feel the cool crisp air, that had not tint to it, but was just clean and clear. Most people who never live close to that type of area may never get the chance to set in the back of a truck watching as the stars shine like you have never seen before, seeing the trees in abundance on both sides, giving away to a thin strip of light that the moon and the stars give off.
It is really impossible to describe, and even pictures (Which I don't have because my phone went dead about the same time that I arrived at the house) would never give justice to the sights I say that night. It changed everything. I began to wonder why we do this, I began to wonder what damage I am doing by just sitting in the back of a truck using gas (And a lot of it), I began to wonder why would anyone want to harm the God given beauty that is all around us?
I am now a firm believer that no matter the issue of money, or of war, we should have energy reform to save the places on Earth, like the back holler of some no name place, where nature gives us peace and tranquility, and most importantly to me, beauty.
Whether you believe in Global Warming or not, the sight of that peaceful night sky, fading off to a dark void that hangs above us, all because of our personal wants, would make any man with a working mind, wish that the street lights and the town up ahead were just a little further away, so you can get one last glimpse of those stars, of that sky, of the beauty nature if giving us.
So if you ever get the chance to drive out into some old back road, in the middle of nowhere, do yourself a favor, and just look up, it will change your view on everything. This earth is too beautiful to allow for us to trample all over it. And a 21'st birthday, spent mudding in the hills of Eastern Kentucky can prove that.
Edit: I want to thank everyone for your Birthday Wishes, and sorry I can't answer each posts individually right now, because I got class this morning, but once I get back I will try answer them all. Also Thank you for getting me on Rec'd list, it was surely a surprise this morning, so thank you.
Edit #2: Well since the number of comments grew, dramatically, I decided that I couldn't all of them individually today (Have to work and had class til 11), but instead I will just say thank you to everyone that commented on this thread, and thank you for the birthday wishes. To answer some questions, yes I know that by muddin' I was actually harming nature, I realized that about the same time I looked back and saw what we were doing, but not much you can do when your in the back of truck speeding down a road, miles away from anywhere, and half drunk haha. But thank you all once again.