Trees and Trains

“And I’m thinking maybe she’s not thinking, maybe she’s under the control of someone else. Maybe I am, too.” (Yu, 38) “Is there such thing as a self-aware Zombie? Can a zombie realize what she is? Maybe there are degrees of zombification, and she’s not quite there yet. Maybe I’m partway there myself” (Yu, 39)             In the world of First Person Shooter , by Charles Yu, our unnamed narrator has several moments in which the relationship between the narrator and the world of the living is construed. After misadventures with a finger found on the ground and later discovering there is a zombie in WorldMart the narrator reflects on their situation. During this time the Zombie makes eye contact with the protagonist leading to the first quote, adding ambiguity to weather they are truly alive and have agency in their life. During the preliminary stage of the short story the narrator depicts their weekly schedule of working: “Sun...

          While spending time in Ecuador we went on a trip to Cotopaxi, a volcano said to be the closest point on earth to the sun and a province of Ecuador’s namesake landmark. Driving into the national park, pine trees carpeted the area surrounding the road. It was strange to see trees from my home of snow and ice being planted in a land so far from home, while also being the land which my father would explore as a child. Moving up the road the landscape drastically changes to a much more arid environment as we reached around 13,000 feet. From that point we climbed around the preliminary trails leading to Cotopaxi, only to be thwarted by strong winds barraging us with ice.         As we descended from the base of Cotopaxi my family decided to make a pit stop at Lago de Limpiopungo to allow us to stretch our legs. While some stayed at the trail head I, underestimating the size of the trail circling the lake, impu...

          The Trees, by Rush, commences with soothing strings and gentle vocals by Geddy Lee as an arboreal struggle is introduced. There exists two rival factions, the oaks and the maples, where the point of contention of the song is oaks stealing all of the sunlight, while maples lie under the oaks’ looming shadow.           Breaking their silence, the maples voice their concerns to the oaks. The energy of the song is heightened as the instruments change from a soft lute to a raging guitar. However, the oaks stand indifferent to the maples’ grievances. This song mirrors many revolutions where either a class or a more specific group of people is being oppressed to the point where they reach their limit. Ultimately the oppressed organize and resist the powers that bind them.           Emulating the class struggle seen in France in 1789, the oaks appear to be analogous...

Ever since I have departed from Ecuador at the tail end of summer I have always desired to return to the mountains. My dream location would have an abundance of mountains. Furthermore a culture different from Midwestern United States would be preferable. After searching far and wide in google earth virtual reality I have found a place that suits the dream of finding breathtaking landscapes. Following my time looking around on Mount Everest I descended to the nearby cities of Lhasa and Kathmandu where I witnessed spectacular natural beauty. Furthermore the Himalayan range is home to a diverse set of ecosystems in such a compact area. Just southwest of Mount Everest lies the city of Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, and sight of filming for Doctor Strange. Nepal is home to a plethora of temples, pagodas, stupas, and breathtaking landscapes. Along many daunting suspension bridges across the many gorges of Nepal prayer flags are erected to carry blessings downwind. Throughout my early years...

         When I was eleven years old our family gained an additional family member on a now infamous Easter day. While in Michigan visiting family we were gifted a young rabbit. Bella previously resided with my aunt along with her 8 pit bulls. Upon our return home Bella cautiously explored our house. Bella was very nervous at first, showering us in bites when we would pick her up. This adjustment period didn’t last long as she soon became comfortable with us interacting with her. Now Bella lives in a large indoor pen, intended for dogs, where we are able to see how she is aging during her time with us. During Bella’s first years with us she enjoyed hopping around our living room, relaxing under furniture and climbing on us. Now she prefers napping on top of her deconstructed shoe box.           One of Bella’s favorite pastimes during the first two years with us was hopping around our backyard, hiding under the gre...

I personally believe that the United States could benefit from a universal commuter high-speed rail system linking the country. This is because of the personal relationship I have with trains dating back to my early childhood. I feel that this should be accomplished through a federal partnership with foreign experts aiding American locomotive engineers. This would, hypothetically, be undertaken by labor brought in from foreign countries with pay and citizenship given in exchange for their hard labor. This high-speed rail network would be electric powered, liquidating carbon emissions, and leaving the only step left in complete carbon free grid to the electric production system. That being said I have an intimate relationship with trains that has been carefully built over time.             Ever since I was a kid I have had a fondness for locomotives. I spent my childhood days playing with Thomas the Tank Engine sets and build...

As long as I can remember, I have always had a problem with sharp acute structures. Ranging from thorns to pigeon repellent spikes, and all other objects similar have always made me feel uncomfortable. When I encounter these shapes, I will often feel as though my eyes are about to be poked by the object near me giving me immense fear. This phobia will be heightened or diluted depending on the objects proximity to me. For example, when stuck with a needle prior to my wisdom teeth removal, I had full body shakes which only subsided when the anesthesia took hold. I have learned to live with this negative reaction to sharp objects over time and have enhanced strength when encountering sharp objects.              Another miscellaneous fear of mine is specific to swimming in the Arc pool. I have an irrational fear that the pool bottom with fall revealing a large body of water underneath the pool where a giant shark will emerge fro...