PRODUCT OF MY ENVIRONMENT

BY JACOB W. HARPER

I am a product of my environment. Many would consider the environment I’m in to be one of subjugation, oppression, and misery. Those things can be true. What that brings me to though is not what I currently experience, but rather what I previously experienced.

You see, I was fortunate. I grew up among some of the most beautiful natural splendor on planet Earth. My breakfast was the straits of Juan de Fuca, my lunch the rainforest, my dinner was the majestic Olympic mountains. Dessert filled my body with warmth, the love of people whose lives have been filled with hardship but had the time and desire to care about me.

That environment created what I think of as myself. I keep unto my heart, the days of heavy rains, deep swells, and walking atop the clouds. The ruggedness of the mountains, define the piece of me that will not capitulate. The wildness of the sea inspires my soul to never lose the moment, that each thought and emotion is equally important to the creature created. I am a piece of a natural splendor, created much like the granite stone; a product of pressure and time. My heart is like the rainforest, full of traitorous trails, which can lead us to beautiful ruins. The most hidden wonders which people will view in awe are the ones which provide the most work. The environment which produced me requires work to be put forth in order to enjoy the beauty stored within. You do not stumble upon the splendor, it is discovered. I am not apparently predominant in the natural splendor, you must look to discover the wonders within. Because within me, you will find the mountains, seas, and ancient forests. Unless you’ve explored those places, there’s no way you can know me, but if you truly know me, you will know my seas, my mountains, and my forests. | JWH

A DESCENDANT OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, JACOB WILLIAM HARPER IS FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. HE IS A VORACIOUS READER AND ASPIRING WRITER.