Bonfire

“When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself,”
-Shunryu Suzuki

Throughout the summer my friends and I started to have bonfire parties out in my pasture. They were usually full of crazy antics and held a sense of freedom from a populated and hectic life. Most of my friends don’t get the chance to just be in nature and spend time with grass at their feet and the moon shining down (or even an exhilarating rain, as we once had at one of the parties). These parties served a stereotypical sense of debauchery but they also solidified the feeling of being young and I am often reminded of how fleeting this feeling can be. Though, summer is especially good at bringing them to the surface. We’re having one this coming weekend to ring in fall and I think it will be good to be together and relish in the disappearing warmth. I also hope that the people who come take a moment to savor the environment and this time in their lives. We’re young and we have so much potential. We are incredibly lucky and to have this time together is a gift. We need to be strong and full of purpose in our actions. I want to have a life that is continuous in seeking purpose and I want to drink life in with a clear mind and an open heart. I hope I always remember these times as well. I hope to think on them fondly in the winter and then the following years of my life. I want to be in the moment and savor it. I hope I always try to take the time to do that and be cognizant of how to live fully and warmly like a fire burning bright and with a strong fury, under the expanse of stars on a summer night…

Fall

"Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We'll smell smoke then,
and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a
sense of sadness and departure."
- Thomas Wolfe

So, on this, the first official day of Fall, I feel it necessary to acknowledge its arrival in an attempt to be gracious. Fall is bittersweet for me in many ways. The weather is near perfect, the colors are beautiful and opportunities in adventure abound. All of this speaks directly to my soul and is, or at least should be, invigorating, but still, fall and I are often at odds with one another. I suppose it may have begun innately, as a child who relished in summer vacations, school always returned along with fall, and so too did it signify winter approaching. As someone who has grown up caring for horses, Winter has always been tough. If you've ever had to fill up water buckets in your bathtub because your outside faucet is frozen, you'll know the pains that winter brings....If you live in Oklahoma where we get more ice than snow and fear cabin fever and being stuck inside your house like I do, you will also understand...So fall has always carried a sense of foreboding, of a downward spiral into Winter, but I suppose my real fear of this season began years ago with a few unfortunate times in my life that seemed to coincide with fall and then winter..... Then the most heartbreaking was the loss of my mother in December of 2006. From that point on, this time of year held the heartbreak that summer has been increasingly therapeutic for. I know that each fall is getting better but there will always be that fear. I am seeking to balance it with the joy brought to me by beautiful weather. I am being proactive about filing my time with adventure so that I may carry the possibility of summer into the cold months. It is a matter of preservation...

Journalist

~ I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world. ~
Henry R. Luce


I always Knew I wanted to write and I wanted to leave the world a better place. Then I decided to fuse those two ideas and become a journalist. I believe everyone has a story and that the world is a beautiful place, even amidst the heartbreak. I want to show people this beauty and tell these stories. For everyone, but primarily, for those that can't speak for themselves. They are our true charge and responsibility as journalists. The voiceless need the world to be aware. People must have access to what is going on outside of individual spheres of influence in order to understand situations on the other side of the world, and then to take that awareness and act upon it. that is the most important thing; act upon what you know and use your own talents to affect positive change. If that is writing or math or people skills or art. No matter, use it and find a way to do what you love and to leave the world a better place.
I have been inspired by many amazing people in my career. One of the most influential is Dan Eldon, he was a photojournalist killed in Somalia in the early 90s and his work did amazing things to bring awareness to the situation going on there. He was killed at the age of 22 but his life story continues to inspire people to use this idea of creative activism and personal ability to change the world. He made me want to be a journalist and make use of my love of writing the way he did of his photography. His untimely death reminds us all to live fully and with purpose. Do what we love and love others. Make your life one that reflects the beauty of the world. I hope I can help show that to the world.

Horses

"The wind of Heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." -Arabian Proverb

Horses have always meant freedom to me. As a kid I was lucky enough to get my first horse and have been enraptured by them ever since. There is something unexplainable about a girl's bond with a horse. It is that perfect meeting between strength and grace. To know a horse is to know what is wild and beautiful in ourselves. Their every movement is poetry and there is something to be said for the way they can transport a mere mortal into a flying vessel of perfection. if you have ever smelled a horse's smooth coat on a summer evening or ridden astride one in a thrilling competition, or wrapped your arms around their long slender necks and pressed your face in their course yet silky manes, then you know the power of a horse. I firmly believe they are our link to sheer abandon and that to have a horse in your life, you are given a rare gift of strength and opportunity. As a child, a horse became that opportunity to me. They taught me to be brave and to take chances. They helped me to be strong and free. My two horses are a huge part of my life. My horse Harley saw me through most of my childhood, from age 11 to now that I am grown. She is getting on in her years but still as beautiful as ever. My horse Coaltrain is 10 years old and I've had him since he was a baby. He is unpredictable and a handful but he has a deeply connected ability to love. He is immensely attached to Harley and myself and the two of them make me incredibly happy. I cherish looking out my backdoor and seeing them grazing in the field. I am reminded of my childhood and I am reminded of possibility and what it feels like to be free all because they are in my life.