Running Along the Trinity

Running Along the Trinity

I am no longer gasping for air, and my heart rate is finally back to normal. I ran along the Trinity River less than 30 minutes ago. I live off of Hulen street, so the Trinity River Trails are just across the street. I embarked on my night run at about 10:00 p.m. with my roommate, Luke. Luke and I try to go on runs whenever we have the time, but this school year has been extremely busy. All I nothing but time to kill during my first two semesters. But now, I feel as if there are not enough hours during the day. I am constantly going to class, studying, or working, with only a few hours – if any- of leisure time a day. Consequently, I have not been able to go on many runs recently, which is unfortunate since running is one of my favorite activities. However, I completed a lot of work during the day and had a solid hour to go for a run with Luke.

The first thing we noticed was the weather. It was a breezy 79 degrees, which felt absolutely amazing. We crossed the Hulen and made our way over to the trail. On our entire run, I saw one man on a bike and two boys accompanied by their dogs; we were essentially the only people on the trail. It was nice to be free of worry that a hardcore cyclist was going to plow into me. Once we got in stride and set our pace, Luke and I talked about various things: school, friends, etc. Then, Luke noticed a sign, which attempted to explain the construction process to those who use the trails; the signs are just a method of informing the public of future plans. This sign claimed to be restoring the river to its natural flow paths. Luke laughed at it, saying that it was false and the sign was an attempt to make all the construction efforts seem more nature friendly than it really was. The sign also noted that they – those constructing – would add to areas to prevent flooding. Luke conceded that flooding is bad for populated areas, but he also added that flooding is natural phenomenon. I’m an expert on the environmental impacts of flooding, but I know that fire is thought to be a negative environmental phenomenon even though it is actually good for the environment – not in excessive amounts of course. So, maybe floods – in unpopulated areas – every now and then are good or maybe not; I honestly do not know.

Much to Dr. Williams’ liking I’m sure, we actually talked about water. I’m actually not even sure how we got on the topic, but I told Luke about some of the discussions we’ve had in class. He was particularly surprised by some of the random statistics I remembered from The Big Thirst – numbers regarding how much water we use and waste. I couldn’t help but realize – again – how lucky we are to have such easy and cheap access to clean water. Even though the Trinity is not aesthetically pleasing or clean, many other river systems around the world are much worse. When I see picture and videos of the Ganges River, I can’t help but think, “How stupid and irresponsible of the people to pollute their river like that.” I then remembered the trash we saw on the canoe trip and thought, “How do we let this happen?” If we – Americans – don’t change the way we treat our rivers, then we may end up with water as bad as the Ganges River.

We ran to the newly built hospital, turned around, and headed back to our apartment. It was relatively dark the entire run. I have bad eyes anyway, so all I could see was the river, trees, and lights from the city. The hospital is very modern looking, and it looks pretty cool at night – see the picture. As I was running, my thirst was growing and I pondered over the terrible quality of the Trinity water. If I was literally dying of thirst, would drinking from the Trinity River actually make matters worse? It’s weird to think about because I am sure people used to drink directly from that river hundreds of years ago. Now, even considering drinking from the Trinity is absurd. I think this is pathetic.

 After finally arriving back at the apartment, my first action was to get a drink of water. Even after thinking and talking about water for the entirety of my run, I was completely naïve when I filled my cup with water from the sink. We are extremely fortunate to be so water-rich in a world that is water-poor.

Canoeing the Trinity

Canoeing the Trinity

              I was very much excited to go canoeing along the Trinity River. I had been running along the trails many times, but I had never been on or in – thank goodness – the seemingly currentless water. I signed up to go on the Thursday, which actually happened to be the busiest day of the week for me as I had an important exam the following morning. However, the canoe trip served as a great escape from studying. So, I arrived at the TCU recreation center on time and waited with to embark on a fun, relaxing getaway. We hopped into vans and rode to the starting point. After unloading the canoes and kayaks from the trailer, we prepared ourselves. Before departing, however, we took a stunning photo in front of the gigantic billboard that advertised the upcoming “gun show.” So, it was only appropriate to take a group picture in front of the billboard, with everyone flexing their muscles at the camera. I was happy to see that the photo made it to the Lit & Civ homepage. After our photo shoot, we listened to the safety check and paired up; I paired up with Jordan, who I had not met before. We introduced ourselves proceeded to drag our canoe down the never-ending hill toward the water; I tend to be optimistic, but that was a rather long way to drag the canoe. Despite our weak arms, we slid the canoe into the water and begin paddling.

The water was calm and smooth on the surface. There was not much visible trash at the starting point, which surprised me. I was already aware of the quality the Trinity River – gross and undrinkable. Despite this awareness, I was not prepared for the amount of garbage that I encountered on the trip. It was simply unbelievable how much filth and trash polluted the water. Cans, trash bags, furniture, Styrofoam, and plastic covered the surface of various areas of the river like Lilli pads cover a pod. Even though the sky was painted in sunset colors and the green grass and trees covered the edges of the river, the ambiance was jaded by the water. I began to ask simple questions:

·       Where does all the trash come from?

·       Who would just throw trash into the water and for what reason?

·       What can we do to rid the water of trash?

·       Is it already too late?

              I know that the there is a Trinity River clean-up excursion every month or so; I wonder how much trash they pick up each time. Is there even a noticeable difference? I hope so. If not, maybe we need to do more. As communities and business are becoming more green and eco-friendly, maybe we could get companies and organizations to take a more direct approach.  I know that real estate companies are planning to develop many areas along the Trinity River. They obviously would want have a retailer or restaurant on the back of a trash-filled river. This would incentivize them to maintain a certain level of cleanliness in their surrounding property area. If everyone along the Trinity River kept their area clean, I am sure there would be a noticeable change.

              My favorite part of the canoe trip was the last bend of the river that turned toward downtown Fort Worth, revealing the illuminated skyline. That made the whole trip worth it. I definitely want to paddle down the Trinity again, maybe in a kayak next time. Now that I know the true extent of the polluted waters, I intend to join the Trinity River clean-up excursions; it would be hypocritical of me to condemn other for not acting if do not make an effort on my part.

The First Meeting

Meeting #1 with my Conversation Partner

After exchanging several emails, my conversation partner, Essa, and I finally planned to meet. We met outside the library. We both had a break between classes, so meeting at that time was very convenient. I wasn’t nervous about meeting Essa because I had prior experience in working with foreign students at the TCU Writing Center. I understood the patience and clarity that it takes. And depending on the individual, sometimes repeating sentences and speaking in the most basic terms helps the conversation go smoothly. Our conversation lasted for an hour, we discussed basic topics such as background, family, school, and interests. Although the topic of our discussion was very surface-level, I was surprised by how much we actually had in common.

Essa is from Saudi Arabia. Although I didn’t ask him, he looks about 30 years old. His wife is studying at the UNT medical center in Fort Worth, and his daughter is in Saudi Arabia living with her grandmother; Essa said that he missed his daughter dearly. He daughter lived here with his wife and daughter for a while but sending her to daycare got complicated because he and his wife both have very busy schedules. He communicates with his daughter almost every day via skype, FaceTime, or phone calls. He hopes to visit her again during Christmas break. Although he clearly wants to be with his daughter, Essa knows that this is just a temporary situation until he or his wife finishes school.

 Essa is studying mathematics here at TCU. Although he wanted to studying Accounting, his grades kept him from getting in. So, he is focusing on math now. When I asked about his hobbies and interests, he acknowledged that he was not a big fan of sports. Essa’s true interest was firefighting; he was a firefighter in Saudi Arabia for seven years. He never fought an actual fire, rather he worked at the training facility. He was in charge of controlling fire during training and testing equipment for possible malfunctions. Apart from being an experienced firefighter, Essa is also an avid cook. He and his wife cook typical American food and recipes from Saudi Arabia. He showed me a few picture and described step by step how he prepared a several of his favorites. He insisted that I try some of his cooking next time. Since we live so close, I will definitely be able to do so.

Essa and I have more in common than I anticipated. We discussed the most basic topics but discovered several mutual similarities. First, I was able to relate to Essa’s interest in firefighting because my brother is a volunteer firefighter. So, Essa and I had a lot to talk about on that subject. He told me about his experiences and I spoke of my brother’s encounters. Another similarity is where we live. We discovered that we live about 100 yards from each other. Essa seemed surprised that he live in the apartment building adjacent to mine. Because of our close proximity to one another, meeting will be much more convenient. I am also extremely excited to try some of Essa’s cooking. As the semester enfolds, I hope that Essa and I can meeting regularly and develop of conversations. This was only the first meeting, so I expected our conversation to be simple. I think that in future meetings, however, I want to delve into more analytical, deeper conversations. I am very invested in learning from my conversation partner just as he wants to learn from me. We will probably try to meet after fall break.

I think this conversation partner is a great program. I had not even heard of it until this class. I admire how it encourages interaction between American and international students, builds communication between people of different cultures, and promotes understanding of unfamiliar backgrounds and experiences. Many stereotypes exist, and people unknowingly accept them without digging deeper or understanding why. Some generalizations are true and others are false, but individuals should base their opinions on first-hand experience rather than others’ often false assumptions. Falsely labeling people and cultures leads to hostility and misunderstanding.

A River Runs Through It Reflection

A River Runs Through It

              I watched A River Runs Through It several years ago and really enjoyed it. So, I got excited when I saw it was on the course schedule and signed up to do it for my LEAD Respondent presentation. Apart from enjoying Brad Pitt’s role in this movie, I am particularly fond of the messages that this film coveys, which I will discuss later. But what does this title even mean? Well, that’s a question I am still trying to answer, and I am beginning to think that there is not a concrete explanation.

              The first theme I analyzed was risk taking. Paul is the clearly the most adventurous character in the film, living every moment to the fullest. He seems fearless, especially when he and his brother shoot the chutes in a canoe. He also has the courage to bring an Indian girl to the bar, even knowing that doing so is clearly against the house rules. Paul exhibits a natural tendency to make a statement; he makes a decision and doesn't look back. Even as a child, Paul refused to eat oatmeal because he did not like it – resulting in a lonely timeout for several hours. He is a character without regrets. However, one can also argue that Norman is the more adventurous of the two brothers. Norman goes off to school “into the unknown” while Paul stays home. Paul admits that he will never leave Montana, showing his complacency. In this sense, Norman is the more courageous character.

              The next theme I analyzed was responsibility. What makes one person responsible for the well-being of another? What are the limits or expectations of one’s responsibility? Norman struggles to answer this question for himself. Paul clearly needs guidance, but doing something he doesn’t want to do would be against his nature. Norman offers him money, advice, and even a ride home from jail, but Paul would rather hold onto his pride. Their parents also try to express their worry, but their words go unheard. The film suggests that one can only give help as it is accepted. One person’s ability to help another is limited by the extent someone will allow you to help. This notion is somewhat melancholy; you can fix people who don’t want to be fixed, regardless of how much you love them.

              Finally, I analyzed an essential component of Paul and Norman’s relationship: competition. Like most brothers, competition fuels Paul and Norman’s relationship. They constantly try to out-do the other. This is clearly evident when the two brothers are fishing; whoever catches the biggest fish is the undisputed champion of the day. Additionally, the two brothers continually compare themselves to each other. Norman admits to Jesse that he is not as good of a dancer as Paul. He also acknowledges Paul natural ability to fish, comparing him to an extraordinary artist. However, the roles switch when Norman out-fishes his brother on an occasion. In turn, Paul admires Norman’s success – academic success, that is. After one fight they ever had – after shooting the chutes – they wondered who was the toughest.

In order to accurately understand all of the themes and messages of the film, I re-watched important scenes of the film multiple times. Each time I watched them, I sometimes picked up on a subtle quote that had important significance. And to be honest, the film gets better and better each time I watch it. However, I am still struggling with understanding several quotes:

“We can love completely without complete understanding.”

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”

“I am haunted by waters.”

Thought provoking right? Well, I’m still trying to grasp the meaning of these passages. In fact, I am beginning to think that they do not even have concrete meanings, and, rather, carry a metaphorical significance.