Smart Alice

Today in class I noticed Rio was setting down his pen in a peculiar manner, it seemed as if it was a very fragile writing utensil. Then in hit me the smart pen, is he recording it right now, I asked, so I checked it later and while I was listing to the audio, I decided I should blog about my highbrow lowbrow experience over spring break. My buddies Craig, and Paul accompanied me to a screening of Alice In Wonderland, while watching the movie I couldn't help but think of this class and its many universally applicable themes. The way the Mad Hatter reacts to Alice's claim that he is just a fictional character in her dream reminded me of the life as fiction theme. The anxiety expressed by someone who wants to exist but in reality does not, is really intriguing. After the movie the three of us headed up to Bear Canyon, as we parked the car the bright sun lit up the trees and illuminated the snow. I reached in the back seat to grab my back pack, filled with essentials. Prior to the trip I filled it up with, a water bottle, a notebook, a frisbee, and The Quartets. When I was in my room I saw it sitting by my bed and to this day I really can't even explain it, but in the process of packing I was compelled to bring the book with me. The group now moved of the trial and we began to climb on mud covered, dirt filled, sparingly snowy terrain. We eventually got to a group of protruding rock formations, the three of us made it to a relatively flat area which had a panoramic view of the valley. I told my roommates that I brought some poetry for the trip. I told them I could read some of it, if they wanted to hear it of course. I could feel a bit of tension as the words let my mouth. 'We won't really understand it, and probably wouldn't read it on our own, but we'll listen, sure', they must be thinking. 'There's a higher spot we can go to,' 'Yeah I can read it up there' I said. Climbing, I start to notice that I'm not really paying that much attention to where I'm placing my feet. I just follow Paul and my feet seem to just follow what my eyes see, its like my eyes are telling my legs what to do with out letting my brain do it instead. We make it to the top, and the view is sublime, a bit terror inducing, made you aware of your utter significance when compared to the vast all encompassing sights of nature. I reach into the pack and flip to the last section of "Little Gidding" 'Are you guys ready' I question

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always—
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

They nod politely, but it has that same characteristic of a similar facial gesture one gives when they receive a pair of green wool socks from their aunt on christmas.I told them that I seem to always be carrying this book around with me and I had never done that before with an english book. I like the this stuff can be read over and over again and still not be completely explored. It's immensely complex but equally rewarding and only a few of us experienced souls read it.