Reflection Spot 2

It’s a crisp, bright Sunday, and I can’t imagine a more ideal morning than a quiet one spent perched on my bridge. It’s in moments like these that I’m most keenly aware that my emotions and the general atmosphere I perceive are inextricably tied to my natural surroundings. When I walk across the bridge after a trying day, turning my gaze to the sunset is all it takes to smooth out some of those crinkles. Every time I look at a daffodil, I feel myself grinning (they were an embarrassingly significant factor in my decision after I visited campus in high daffodil season). It feels important to set the midterm bustle aside for a few minutes and acknowledge my gratitude for the little moments of color that this familiar but constantly shifting scene never fails to provide for me. We’re only just beginning to discover how deeply our physical place impacts every facet of our lives.

I’m also appreciating the opportunity to revisit and reflect on our time with Ralph White this week. No Style Weekly profile could have prepared me for his captivating enthusiasm and the raw power of his presence to the environment we were exploring. I was struck especially by his hands, weathered and dusty, a story in every crease. But one part of his tour that has stayed with me is his attention not only to the nature he has come to know so well, but to its human counterparts’ relationship with it. His observations of the fisherman his stories about sharing the James with young students were compelling and probably an often-overlooked element of the watershed’s story from an ecological perspective. I particularly loved when he pointed out the graffiti under the bridge that was “truly a work of art, something to be preserved”—his perspective on human interaction with the river is balanced, compassionate, and well-thought out. We’re incredibly fortunate to have spent a few hours in his company.