Author's Note: I chose this essay above the other two because I had a good time writing it. I felt that it was the best written and most original of my three essays. I think my essay uses unique words effectively, however I think my essay might take too long to get to the point. After reading my essay is it clear that I enjoy nature, the mystery of unknown places, and reading and writing fiction?
About a week ago the landscape was a wasteland, dried grass and leafless trees were commonplace. Now however, little green buds spot the trees which stood dormant for the last 3 months. The grass is a tinge of green. Spring has begun.
In a few weeks the buds have opened and the trees have filled their branches with adolescent leaves. The grass now has significant color and life flows through the landscape. This time of year is one of the best times for a hike.
The hillside forest is quiet as I travel upwards, through the hills, occasionally trailblazing and finding a new path. The clean, cool air fills my lungs rejuvenating my body as the world around me continues its renaissance.
When I reach the peak, I stand on one a rock protruding from the mountain. I look out at the valley below and see a vast wilderness. I see an abundance of trees, a winding river, and perhaps a few little open fields. This is the world that interests me. The uncharted world, the untrodden path, the road less traveled, beckons, perhaps leading to a secret world, or a long forgotten relic.
On the other side of the mountain there lies a town in stark contrast with mysterious wilds present just a few miles away. It’s a shame the known has replaced the unknown. If there is nothing that is unknown, how can we dream, imagine and think about what there might be out there.
New ideas are spawned from a lack of knowing. Children’s dreams yield the most interesting fantasies. Their minds constantly invent things to fill the holes that their real world knowledge cannot. They are not skeptics, they are believers. Imagination is something that needs to be preserved, without it the world cannot have vision.
There is however one remedy to knowledge and that is fiction. Stories can bring optimism, and evoke creativity. The reading and construction of an exceptional work of fantasy or science fiction should be something that is savored, an escape from the restraining confines of reality.
The downward return journey from the top of the mountain is short. The quick descent reminds me of how fast things can change and encourages me to live my life both in the moment and looking forward.
