Refraction

I'm writing this the day after even though I usually write most of my blogs at the last minute…but that would make today Tuesday. I had such an amazing day yesterday that brightly stood out against the grey background of repetitive days that blend together throughout the week; funny as well, considering it was a Monday. Saturday and Sunday, even though they were days on the weekend, just felt so lifeless for some reason–I wish that I went home for that weekend. I didn't have any plans and wondered, “why am I just staying in my dorm?” Just to overthink all of the things that I had to study for along with assignments I had to do, only to inevitably get a few things on the laundry list of to do’s done? 

Monday morning I woke up earlier than usual and went to get breakfast before my class because I needed to get even a little fuel in before I went to the Field Museum for my Anthropology lab, which was something I was looking forward to because I always loved reading about the different animals, cultures, artifacts, and also looking at the fossils.

[From the Field Museum Website]

The landmark that our professor gave us as a meetup spot was a giant taxidermized gorilla that was way bigger than I expected. I used to think that 100 men could take down one of these things barehanded, but after looking at one, I feel as though I was sorely mistaken. 

I got there a little early, so I walked around the basement floor checking out all of the taxidermized animals in their cases before the rest of the group got there. My favorite taxidermy that I saw was the bison. I can only imagine what I would be like to be in the windy American planes as a bison, gnawing away at some fresh grass; this, being before the Europeans colonized America of course. Such a majestic beast…much to learn here.

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Other animals that I saw in the basement that I was particularly fond of were the snow leopard, and lion. The lion, much like the gorilla I saw, was much bigger than I had expected, though the snow leopard was a little smaller than I anticipated. 

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[from camera roll

Although my favorite picture that I took was of the walruses, which I can say surprised me the most due to their size–they can get up to the size of a small pickup truck–but I just can't take this little guy seriously next to him. I mean just look at him–look at those eyes.

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When the lab was done and I got all the answers to the lab sheet, I wanted to do the optional scavenger hunt where you had to take pictures of yourself with a list of items in the museum. I felt kind of childish going around the museum for an hour or two, rushing through all the exhibits to try and find them by myself, at first with no map. After finding a few of them on my own I got fed up and just took a map and asked one of the museum staff members. 

 I was exhausted from nearly 3 hours of nonstop repetitive walking in a museum which was too hot for the weather that day, but when I left it was the most beautiful day outside. I went over down to the small walkway that circles around the Shed Aquarium, as the wind wicked away my sweat and exhaustion as I sat down with my feet hanging off the edge over the lake. The water was just calm enough to gently cover the rocks as the sunlight hit the water refracting the ripples onto them.

A man comes up to me and strikes up a conversation; I can't exactly remember how it started, maybe something about the weather or the water along the rocks. He was an older guy who is in his retirement, around 70, when I eventually figured out that he had taught at the community college from my hometown for 33 years. Crazy coincidence, right? We both just talked about life and stuff that's going on as two complete strangers, which is something that I find a lot of old people do: starting random conversations with whoever. That, I find, is somewhat of a lost art-form because I feel as though the individualistic nature of the U.S alienates people from forming real community, so I’ve been trying recently to be as open and adventurous as I possibly can to get out of my comfort zone a little because that's how we grow as people and build community. The man who I talked to, Dan, left me with the somewhat cliche advice to stay in school before he kept walking about his day, but it felt like a very genuine conversation that brightened my day just a little more. 

I go to check my phone and I realize its dead, so I sat watching the shadows of clouds move up and down the lake for a little longer.