My last essay for E1

My last essay for E1 *sniff*

Cruising down the freeway, I stop and contemplate the pollution: smoke, roaring engines, whiffs of gasoline, tar spattered on the road. I get out of my car having reached my destination. The sign reads, “Welcome to the Fullerton Arboretum.” Walking to the entrance is the least exciting part, although I am more excited than I have been in a long, long while. Away from the pollution of loud freeways and buildings, the Fullerton Arboretum in California, a place of peace and quiet, becomes mine for a day.

Wanting to watch turtles and ducks, I jog a short distance to the lily pond to see its miniature magnificence; it gives me inspiration. Turtles coast upon the water; splashing with leaves of grass hanging from their mouths, they joyfully spend their day. Emerging temporarily from the water, the fish happily gobble up sustenance by jumping above the surface to catch their tasty morsels. Waddling around the tiny lake, ducks sniff at my feet wishing for something appetizing. The cheerful quacks from the birds echo across the water. Although I do not realize it, the pond water fragrance wafts to my nostrils.

A short distance away, with more grand and unique characteristics, an enormous tree stretches out its long gnarled branches and, seeming as though it could rule the world, is positioned. Etched with swollen bark, it carries itself proudly. Sitting on the ground in front of it, an oak and iron seat is placed and invites me to relax there. I glide my hand across the wooden bench, which is worn with scars from the hours of service provided to others. As I rest my legs, the birds chirp miniscule songs of sweet melody. Perched on the crooked branches, they lift my spirits as they sing a kind song. The rustling leaves become more prominent to my ears and eyes as I unseating myself. Smooth yet sharp edged leaves hang in the air. As I goggle at them, they let go of the branch falling and lilting to the ground as they are drained of their life. Their transition to enrich the ground with food, which is courteous, serves as a marker of time to the people of the Earth.

Moving away from the tree, I walk down the nature-made road. Passionate emotion fills me as I find it ­– the garden. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. Bees buzzing, birds humming, and butterflies fluttering echo into my ears. In eagerness, the breeze blows against flowers, trying to carry the seeds of a new plant across the garden to continue the cycle of reproduction. The buds grow and develop after they are deposited by the wind into the earth. Blooming with a frenzy of flaming fiery into splendorous flowers, the floral plants are created. I witness the cycle repeating itself again.

As I walk back to my car, driving to my sad house, slumbering back into my boring lifestyle, I realize and remember all the things God does for me every day. Though I cannot live in the arboretum, the experience helps me to be grateful for God’s gifts. These simple yet beautiful feelings are everyday evidence of the magnificence of His creation that we, who live on this planet, so often take for granted. God gives us joy through many ways in our life. His acts of kindness are indescribably incredible. Furthermore, not only does He show us how to act or what to do, he shows us what to be. God gives us feelings inside that tell us to be passionate about what we love. All these senses work together to produce an amazing experience that God has bestowed upon us that we have not done anything to deserve. As I arrive at my house, a smile spreads across my face thinking about these things. We, as the people of the Earth, are blessed.