As a class, we went for a walk on the Nolan Trail. The five physical senses to be recognized were sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. The trail, full of interaction with the five senses, brings with it the presence of another sense, and that is the sense of being one within Nature.
Upon entering the trail, the first sense recognized is the sense of sight. The trail is full of colors. The trees show the color of their leaves and bends of their branches, displaying their struggle to grow upward and sprout themselves ever-closer to the sun; the water reflects its counterpart above it; the flower shows off its vibrant shades among its pedals; the sky itself shows the color of the day passing, displaying a collage of color to welcome the night. Sight itself is the most crucial sense to behold upon entering the trail. Without sight, the trail has no beauty, no significant image to show of it's construction.
The second sense to recognize upon the trail is the sense of smell. It is the smell of constant renewal. The pines smell of sap; the flower smells of its oils which evaporate into the air around it; the water gives off the crisp smell of rejuvenation. We breathe the ever continuing cycle of life, and in doing so continue the cycle, growing ever more into what we truly are: species of a symbiotic system.
The third sense recognized on the trail is the sense of sound. The birds sing their song to each other, and unintentionally, to us. The trees will give off the sound of their percussion as the wind causes them to billow upon each other. The sound of the water, be it on the beach or within the insets of the bridge, will calmly play the similar tune of the water on the shoreline; its approaching and receding a beautiful melody played in the background. These sounds all comprise of a greater orchestra. This is the song of life as it continues to play for us without invitation or end. This orchestra plays a song everyday, each day a new and unmatched composition.
The fourth sense recognized on the trail is the sense of touch. To walk on the trail is to touch the ground with the feet nature saw fit to give you. The grooves within the branch and bark of every tree read the story of its growth. The softness of the pedal of the flower show its delicacy and frangible nature, while its thorns display its defense and fortitude. The water is cool, bringing the feeling of revival and cleansing to the touch of it. The air, like the water, is cool, aiding in its purity, allowing us to breathe in the constantly renewing cycles around us.
The fifth sense recognized is the sense of taste. The air is different here than back where we reside because it is pure. It is pure in the sense that is it free of the implemented 'necessities' of everyday life. The taste of the air here is absent the taste given by the brick, the paint, or the developing building. It is a taste of fresh air, newly constructed by the trees around us.
Aside from all of these physical senses given off by nature, there is yet another sense, a sixth sense, that is of psychological and metaphysical nature. It is easy to recognize the first five senses when treading upon the Nolan Trail, but to truly ENTER the trail is where one truly experiences the sixth sense present in every human being. We are given by the grace of nature the ability to recognize this sense. With this sixth sense, one enters nature and becomes part of it. We become the tree, similar in our struggles to reach high above, farther than anyone has gone before; we become the rock, remaining whole against the bashes of whatever life sees fit to throw at us; we become the water, flowing over the Earth and falling from the sky to rejuvenate everything around us, renewing ourselves to grow into something better; we become the birds, singing our songs to world to whoever will listen; we become the turtle revealing ourselves to the world from the safety of our seclusion; we become the flower, starting a seed and sprouting into something beautiful for the rest of the world to witness.
It is from the sixth sense present in ourselves that the true beauty of nature is given. From this sense we are able to see, feel, touch, smell, taste, and be in Natures message: We are all one part of a whole; we are all one in this symbiotic and metaphysical world. What nature holds for us, both physically and spiritually is worth more than the implemented, monetary values of everyday life. Nature provides us everyday with this message, and it requires but a moment of solitude among the components of its orchestra to realize it.
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