Nina Bacon's Blog

September 26th, 2023      Yesterday afternoon, our class spent our first day at the Fort Worth Nature Center. I was both excited and fearful for this first day working in the heat. My excitement stemmed from my desire to serve, my love for nature, and my commitment to trying new things. However, my hesitation and fear also presented themselves due to my feelings of unpreparedness and my hatred for extreme heat. More so than hating the heat, my body doesn’t respond well to the heat. I’ve been spending some afternoons in the heat at the football games or at various activities; each and every time, I feel light-headed and nauseous. Even after 3 years of living in Texas, it hasn’t gotten any easier. Thus, the thought of wearing long sleeves, pants, heavy boots, and working in the heat did not sound ideal to my privilege and self centered desires.       But, I knew our help was needed, and that taking part in this afternoon would naturally lead to feelings ...

 September 24th, 2023        Tuesday evening, most of our class met and traveled to Benbrook Lake for a canoeing excursion. I truly had no expectations for what this time would look like, and how our time as a class would look.       While I am comfortable on the water and have kayaked a number of times as well as done other water sports, I wasn’t sure about canoeing. I had nerves before meeting up to go to Benbrook Lake; I was coming off a long day of class, my internship, and many meetings so I needed some rest and relaxation. After arriving at the TCU gym, I heard that the water was expected to be still, the temperature had dropped a little, and we had instructors from the rec center, so I felt more at ease. However, in hindsight, I wish I hadn’t relaxed quite as much as I did.       Immediately after carrying the canoe Maddie and I were sharing down the dock to the water, I knew this activity was going to be more stren...

 Nature Journal #3: Sunrise Walk September 11th, 2023 There is something so peaceful about rising before the sun. The world is still quiet and much of it still dark. Especially living surrounded by college students, the serenity of an early morning is exacerbated by the fact that 20 something year-olds tend to stay in bed as long as possible. I’ve always been an early riser; however, sometimes that meant I was at the gym or the yoga studio or doing homework inside in the early morning hours. And while all those things are still true sometimes, I have found myself forcibly awake and out and about more frequently this year. I attribute this to the work schedule and early morning class that I haven’t had previously. These mornings make me aware of nature simply because it smacks me in the face; I can’t ignore the sun when it comes beaming through my car window in the morning. When a bird nearly slams into my windshield, the least I can do is spend a passing thought thinking about the ...

 Mary Oliver Poems #1: "Don't Hesitate" September 15th, 2023      Mary Oliver's poem, "Don't Hesitate," is a beautiful reflection on the fleeting nature of joy and the importance of embracing it when it unexpectedly graces our lives. It serves as a reminder that, in a world often marred by destruction and unkindness, joy is a precious and powerful force that should not be taken for granted. When I read this poem, I am immediately struck by its sense of urgency. Mary Oliver implores us not to hesitate when joy washes over us. This resonates deeply because, in my own life, I've noticed how easy it is to let moments of happiness slip away, overshadowed by worries and concerns. Oliver's words serve as a gentle nudge, encouraging us to seize joy when it appears, no matter how fleeting.      The acknowledgment of our human limitations in wisdom and kindness is a humbling aspect of the poem. We all have moments when we fall short, when our actions or wo...