Look Up

The walk through the gorge was incredible on many fronts. The challenge that we faced to go down the switchbacks on the face of the cliff was intimidating, yet completely doable with careful steps. Having to watch every step, however, kind of took my eyes away from the grander scope of things that was going on around me.

Once I looked up, that’s when the incredible beauty was bestowed upon my eyes. The cliff walls
soared as high as skyscrapers in cities like New York. The walls were covered in shades of browns, reds, yellows, and oranges, which looked as if the colors were painted on with a large brush in vertical streaks. The life around us was green and the trees shot up from the ground and provided us with just enough coverage from the sun to ensure that we didn’t. 

Then, about half way through the hike we walked into an old abandoned village. It was a small place; no more than 15 people could live there comfortably. It was built into the mountain side and barely affected the natural scenery around us. After eating lunch here, we continued to trek down the

mountain until we finally got to the gorgeous turquoise-blue sea that was waiting for our hot and exhausted bodies to dip in. This hike was truly incredible.

The thought to look up should also translate into the everyday life of people. There is so much beauty around us in the United States. There is no civil war and we are typically safe, there is shelter for safety and warmth, people that love you, etc. Also, the landscape around you has a particular beauty to in. For example, in Boston, there are beautiful, red-brown brick roads that pave the way to historical sites and universities in certain parts of the city. Beautiful, groomed parks scattered throughout the city. On the flip side, there are also some concerning things that deserve attention. Think about the concept in a political sense, starting with domestic (in the United States) politics. There are problems like racial and gender inequality, homophobia, the way that immigrants and refugees are typically treated, cases of poverty, equal access to education, some decisions that the government has recently made that will negatively affect us in the long run, and so much more. 

On an international scale, if you look up from where you are to see what surrounds you, you will see a beautiful earth that is important to treat right for future generations. In that world, it is important to realize the issues and take care of them. To name a few, there is climate change, food insecurity in certain regions, various energy issues, water sanitation issues, racism, issues with building sustainable economies and political systems, and war. It is imperative to learn about these issues that are affecting the world. Even though they seemingly aren’t affecting you as an individual, at a certain time, they are still important because of what it does to the sake of humanity in the long run. Moreover, who is to ever say that it won’t affect you or future generations to come?

The world is constantly changing, and it is up to us to decide whether it is for the better or worse and continue moving forward by taking care of certain issues. The only way that we will achieve this is to keep a watchful eye on what is happening around you domestically and in the world. That is why it is important to look up, see, and live in our ever-changing, beautiful world.