4/13/10

Cliff Hanger


Nature is a very powerful force and has the ability to move individuals in very strong ways. I experienced firsthand, the great power and magnificence of nature. Nature is a very dominant force that affects our lives every single day and it is crucial that we learn to live in harmony with it. Nature has the power to provide as well as take away and it is extremely important to understand this concept. I learned that even though humans believe to have control over the forces of nature, we cannot control nature, but can only sit back and admire its beauty or watch it destroy.

I was ten years old when my family took a vacation to California; while we were there we took a trip out to a set of tide pools to see the different plant and animal life. We spent a long time exploring the pools and I took a particular interest in the plants and animals that inhabited the area. The pools teemed with many different species of fish and had a variety of interesting coral and other sea plant life. The plant and animal life held my attention for a while, but being a daring kid I decided to explore the area where the rock face dropped off into the ocean. Since it was low tide the water was below the surface we were standing on, and had dropped so low that there was a ten foot cliff that dropped to the water. I got the brilliant idea to walk out to the very edge even though giant waves were crashing into the rocks and spraying water into the air. Once I reached the edge a wave hit me and knocked me over; when I fell off the cliff I somehow managed to grab onto the edge that was covered with mussels. Luckily my dad pulled me to safety before another wave came that could have knocked me into the water. When I was pulled to safety I was clearly shaken, but from that moment on I knew the power that nature held and could unleash, even though the wave that knocked me over was small in comparison to other disasters nature can cause. This experience gave me a much greater appreciation for nature and it allowed me to understand that although we as humans may think we have control over nature that we, in fact, do not. Just as I thought that I was in control of my own safety while standing on the edge, nature, specifically the wave that over powered me, showed me that I had a lot less control than I actually thought.

This experience was life changing for me; not only did it give me a greater respect for nature, but it showed me that although nature is powerful we can learn to live along with it in harmony. This idea has become much stronger in the recent decade with a more environmentally conscious attitude. It may not be easy to live in nature without attempting to control it, but if this can be accomplished we could develop a happier and healthier planet. In my case, had I just stood back and continued to admire the beauty of the tide pools instead of standing on the edge of the cliff I would have avoided this near death experience. This experience also gave me an example of how nature has the ability to give as well as take away. Sometimes nature provides that light rain that allows crops to grow and flourish, but nature can also bring a tsunami that causes death and destruction. In my circumstance, had I not grabbed onto the edge I very well may have died, and I learned that I had no control over nature whatsoever.

Many people tend to think that they have control, but no one can control the awesome power that nature holds. When I was standing on the edge I felt a sense of control, but the wave that knocked me over thought different. While we cannot control nature, we can alter the way nature affects us, as well as the severity of its effects. Most people live in a house under a roof that shields them from the rain, snow, and cold and the levies in New Orleans prevent the city from being under water. Even with these prevention methods, scenarios arise where these anticipation techniques fail; for example, the levies in New Orleans broke and allowed the flood waters of hurricane Katrina to devastate the city. We also tend to think that because of technology we can avoid the wrath of nature. The most recent example would be the snow storm in February that covered much of the north east in two feet of powder. This storm knocked out the power in thousands of homes in the Washington area alone, and most vehicles were totally useless unless they were dug out of the snow. Even with the advanced technology that we possess today, disasters that are large enough can render this technology completely and utterly useless. It is important to not be completely reliant on technology, because when a catastrophe happens it may be necessary to function without technology.

My experience changed my life in more than one way. It taught me that humans must learn to peacefully coexist with nature and not attempt to control it. Nature has the power to bestow great gifts, and also destroy life, as it almost did in my case. I developed a greater appreciation for the magnificence of nature, and a better understanding of the incredible power that it is capable of unleashing. Most importantly, I learned not to stand on the edge of a cliff when gigantic waves are crashing into it and that have the ability to knock a ten year old, not even 100 pound kid over. Standing on the edge of a cliff that was constantly being pounded by huge waves was unsafe, and clearly it was a terrible idea, and the near death experience I had could have easily been avoided.

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