River Reflection 2

            During my first river reflection, I observed the Trinity during the daylight hours.  This time, I decided to observe the sunset on the Trinity and get a new perspective of the river during the night hours. 

            After my first river reflection, I was a little disgusted by the Trinity and depressed about how polluted the body of water is.  Reading The Big Thirst helped me realize the importance of preserving water and keeping water clean and usable for future generations.  Rather than looking at a river as being at the point of no return, I should take measures to help clean up the Trinity.

            During the first half hour of my time at the Trinity, I decided that I wanted to try and clean it up a little bit.  I brought some trash bags and gloves with me, and I picked up and disposed of all the garbage within my area.  While this small act probably did not have a huge impact on the river, I like to think that it made the Trinity somewhat cleaner.

            I then decided to sit down and watch the sunset.  I was surprised at how beautiful the Trinity looked at night.  While I was sitting there, a family of ducks crossed in front of me.  There was also a turtle swimming in the river that would occasionally stick its head out of the water.

            To the right of where I was sitting, there was a family having a picnic dinner.  The three kids were playing catch right near the river, and at one point they accidentally threw their baseball into the river and had to get their dad to help them retrieve it.  The family then sat down for dinner and ate a feast of hamburgers, fruit, and salad.  They were all laughing and seemed to be having a fun family night.

            Seeing this family made me reflect on how much of our life revolves around water.  Obviously we need it to survive, but even in addition to that we are attracted to the beauty of water and love spending time near it.  Whether we choose to sit down and have a picnic near water, or go sailing, wakeboarding, or skiing, we spend so much of our lives obsessing over water.  The most popular vacation destinations, such as Hawaii, the Bahamas, and Mexico, are all admired because of the gorgeous bodies of water that surround them.

            Staring at the Trinity reminded me of times from my childhood.  Growing up, my family spent many weekends at our lake house in Delavan, Wisconsin.  Ever since I was born, I have been swimming and playing in water.  Going up to the lake house was a way for my family to escape from the business of everyday life and take time to relax and enjoy each other’s presence.  In addition to my immediate family, many of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all came to Lake Delavan to enjoy small weekend getaways and appreciate all that the lake had to offer.  Even before I got my driver’s license, when I was 12 years old, I took a class and obtained my boating license so that I could legally drive boats and spend more time on the lake.  Water has been such a huge part of my life, yet I often fail to notice the huge impact it has made on me.

            As the sun finally set on the Trinity, the people started to leave and it became very quiet.  The only thing I could hear was the humming and buzzing of the bugs.  I love the serenity of the Trinity, and appreciate the way in which it relieves so much of my stress.  Every time I go to the Trinity, I am able to relax and forget about all the problems I am having in my life.  I am so thankful to have such a major water source right next to campus, and am grateful for the opportunities I have to spend time near the river.

P.S.- Sorry for my terrible photography skills.

More Learning Experiences! 10/6/14

            Over the past three weeks, I have learned so much more in my classes.  Last week was especially busy for me because I had my first two accounting tests.  In my tax accounting class, our test was over the present value of money, the general reasons why governments tax people, and the standards that establish what a “good” tax is.  Before taking this class, I knew absolutely nothing about the country’s tax structure or tax laws, so this class has given me a much greater understanding of taxes.  While I have learned a lot in this class and really like my professor, I find taxes to be incredibly boring.  Taking this class has helped me determine that I want to go into the audit field of accounting over the tax field.  In my financial reporting accounting class I also had my first test last week.  It covered journal entries, how to prepare financial statements, and various accounting ratios.  A great deal of information was covered on this test and it counts for 25 percent of my grade, so I spent many hours studying for it.  I enjoy financial reporting much more than tax, because I find the information to be more interesting and the rules in financial reporting are much clearer and more concise than tax laws.  My financial reporting class has helped me determine that I want to pursue a career in the audit field of accounting.  All of my business classes this semester are fairly similar to each other, in the way that information I learn in one class is often relevant to the other classes.  Especially in my two accounting classes, information I learn in one class is vital to know in order to succeed in the other class.

            In Literature and Civilization, we read a few chapters from The Big Thirst.  Up until reading this book, I had no idea the world was in a water crisis.  Sure, I frequently saw signs warning people that Texas was in a drought and we need to cut back on our water usage, but I never took those warnings too seriously and did not realize the extent of the crisis.  Especially because our population is growing rapidly, it is important that we find better ways to preserve water.  I originally thought of water as something that everyone is entitled to use as they wish, but reading The Big Thirst helped me realize that water is a precious resource that we are lucky to have, and I need to treat it with much more respect.  I am definitely more conscious about how much water I waste, and have been trying to cut back on how long I shower and how often I turn on the faucet.

            I was fascinated by chapter eight in The Big Thirst, which discussed in great detail India’s water crisis.  I would consider India’s water crisis to be much worse than America’s.  Many rural Indian citizens do not have access to water in their homes, so the women and girls have to walk a few miles each day and carry pounds of water back with them.  Many girls in India are also forced to drop out of school once they hit puberty because the schools often lack working bathrooms.  In addition to these issues, citizens of India typically believe that water outside of their home is someone else’s responsibility, and they do not take water seriously enough.  A majority of India’s population is Hindu, and this religion carries the belief that water is holy, and is powerful enough to take care of and clean itself.  As a result, the Ganges river is particularly polluted and dirty.  India faces major problems in regards to its water, and there is no clear answer of how to fix their issues.  We must continue to look for ways to solve the world’s water crisis, and on an individual level, The Big Thirst has taught me to take water seriously and be more conscious of how much water I use.

            I am really enjoying the classes I am taking this semester and have already learned a great deal of new things.  From learning about accounting practices to learning about the world’s water crisis, I have gained so much knowledge and wisdom that applies to my life.  I am looking forward to learning even more material as the semester continues!