Man's Best Friend

Man and animal have coexisted on the face of the planet since the dawn of time, but yet some animals have become increasingly more attached to people than others. Take for example, dogs. Over the years, man’s best friend has found a spot in the hearts of people all across the world. Nowadays, it is customary for a family to have one or more dogs. So why has the dogs evolved to become the quintessential household pet? Does it have to do with their companionship, their friendliness, or just sheer luck? I say the former. A dog can be anything from an extra playmate to an extra family member. But, the most important aspect of the relationship between man and dog is the steadfast love that a dog will show, no matter the situation.

My family has had at least one dog my entire life. I have been more attached to some than others. Our newest addition to the family, Diesel, is a six-month-old Alaskan malamute and husky mix. To say he is adorable would be an understatement. When my oldest dog, Whoopi passed away, it was my turn to pick out a new dog. Little did I know that the dog would pick me. As my mom and I walked through the kennel, we reached the last cage. In the back corner was Diesel, licking his paws and just smiling. I whistled at him and immediately he jumped up ran to the cage and starting licking my hand. I knew at that exact moment that he was the dog I wanted. There was undeniable connection between Diesel and my family. Although we had never met, the animal could show such love and adoration towards us, that we could do nothing but treat him like another member of our family. We proceeded to take Diesel back to our home to introduce him to his new life. Without hesitation he complied, knowing that he was better off with us then at the kennel. It struck me as odd that an animal with such small mental capacity, in comparison to man, could have such an easy time trusting someone he just met. But Diesel complied and his trust and love for us has grown exponentially since then.

Personally, I see dogs as a comfort zone for people. No matter what the situation, a bad day at work or a horrible breakup, your dog will always be waiting for you at home tail wagging waiting to greet you with a huge smile. They are oblivious to the atrocities of life, but they still keep you happy. Dogs are the ultimate friends. In a sense, the relationship man has with dogs is what man looks for in each of his human relationships. Dogs exude all the traits that people look for in friends. They are the epitome of trust, companionship, and love. The connections that man and animal can make with one another in such a short time are quite amazing. When I was asked to write about an experience I had with an animal I coulodn't specifically pick out one true experince, but instead I found out that all my time spent with my dog what worth writing about. Dogs can evoke emotions from their owners that are unique to the realationships they have with their master. Having a connection with a dog is something that almost anyone is capable of gaining but it truly hard to grasp what that connection entails until you experience it.

Nature's Painting on the Wall

(Photo Taken by Adam Ivusich)

Two years ago my Family and I took a cruise that made a stop in Mexico. While there, on a whim, we decided to take a guided tour up into the dense forest of Puerto Vallarta. Being from suburban Maryland, I spend little to no time in nature. Therefore, I expected this tour to be a complete waste of time. As we ascended up the mountain, I found myself feeling more and more distant from civilization and becoming more in touch with the beauty of the surrounding nature. As the distant city grew farther away, as it disappeared behind the treetops, I realized that you can never truly understand the true beauty of nature until you truly immerse yourself in it.

Nature is a distant concept that many cannot truly understand. Although it is agreeable that things in nature can be beautiful, it is hard to truly grasp their allure. Paintings of beaches and sunsets drape the walls of houses all over America, but why do people admire such things that are so distant from themselves? As we continued to climb the mountain, things became noticeable, things that I would have never paid attention to before. I was immersed in the colors of the forest. The green of the vines started to blend with the autumn color of the leaves. Suddenly, my daydream was interrupted, “Mire su paso para dragones”, the tour guide proclaimed. I was soon told by my dad that she had said “Watch your step for geckos.” I looked down for the first time. The ground was covered with little six inch long geckos running rampant everywhere. It was like walking on a carpet of geckos; from that point on, every few steps I took, I made sure to check my shoes for dead geckos. Within ten minutes of hiking, we reached el precipicio de dragon, The Dragon’s Cliff. From this cliff’s edge I could overlook the entire city of Puerto Vallarta. The beach, the port, the town, everything was encompassed in one snapshot. I imagined this picture on the wall in our living room. Could it stand side by side with the breaking waves of Ocean City, or the painting of the lighthouse in Hilton Head? I realized that the things we describe as beautiful or breath-taking, are mostly things that we cannot control, natural beauties in their natural habitat.

As we descended the mountain, I started to appreciate the true beauty of the land. It was like I was leaving an unfamiliar area and reentering civilization; from the unknown back to the known. While being immersed in the forest, I gained a sense of awareness that I would never had in suburbia. Colors, beings, and settings came into my view that I was previously blind to. As I look back on my time in the jungle, I realize that the only reason that I understood the beauty of the forest was because I was completely surrounded by it. People can talk about the beauty of nature in casual conversation, but only those who truly immerse themselves in the environment can understand the splendor it can provide to the human eye.

Nature's Fury

Living on the eastern seaboard, hurricanes have affected my life from June to November every year. Hurricanes are deadly storms that take the lives of thousands of people every year. Over time, they have become more predictable but, their lethal force has not lessened at all. We now understand, through the advancement of technology, why hurricanes occur but, none the less, their natural beauty is matched only by the massive destruction they cause.

Hurricanes are described by meterologists as storm systems with a low pressure center and numerous surrounding thunderstorms with strong winds. Hurricanes affect most of the eastern seaboard in the United States and the islands in the Pacific. They form in a weather band in the Atlantic Ocean that gives them their wind strength and, as they pass over water, they gain strength until they unleash their fury on the land. Hurricanes are one of the strongest weather storms. Not only can they produce Gale force winds, but they can spawn tornadoes, and produce high waves close to the effects on a small tsunami. Their fury is so strong that not only is their storm destructive but they can help to create some of the most furious other weather storms.

Every year in Maryland, we are destined to get a hurricane. No matter how good the weather may seem, at least once a year the clouds will open and decide to dump a bucket full of water on us while adding in the ridiculous wind. To me, hurricanes are more of a nuisance than anything else. They are loud and annoying as the rain pelts against the side of my house. It’s like someone is shooting a bb gun at the side of my window, so loud that I can’t even hear myself think. Sooner or later the winds die down and the rain subsides, but for those few hours where the weather is unbearable it’s like a hell on earth. Everything has to stop because, nothing productive can get done during a hurricane.

Luckily, I have never been too unfortunate as to encounter a hurricane of great ferocity head on. In Maryland, most of the affects of hurricanes are the outskirts of the storm. We don’t get hit directly, so we only feel about forty percent of the true force of hurricanes. It is hard for me to imagine those who are more affected by hurricane destruction; like those in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region. In Maryland, hurricanes are a factor when they come, but they do not affect our lives enough to where our lifestyle has to adapt to the hurricane season. Hurricanes are so influential in the Gulf Coast that people have to rearrange their life around hurricane season.
Hurricanes are no laughing matter; they affect thousands of people every year. Even smallest of hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage. Although we can predict hurricanes and we like to think that we can minimize their damage, we must respect nature’s power. Sometimes there are things in nature that are larger than us and we must be able to accept defeat and do our best to withstand them.