THE NATURAL WORLD IS EVERYWHERE

JL SANDOVAL

When things go wrong,
don’t go with them.
— Elvis Presley

It is a sunny day in Madras, Oregon. I live in a small town called Deer Ridge Correctional Institution. The population in here is just a little over 1,000 people. I have no complaints, this town has everything that a human being needs to survive. I am grateful that at least we can keep the body and soul together.

There are different types of birds here. We have huge crows, ravens, and little wild birds. They’re always flying around “surviving” like the people in this town who are in survival mode. We have to be, we are under surveillance to avoid unpleasant surprises. I have no complaints about this town. I don’t suggest you come here — this is not a game or a joke. This is prison

Even here at Deer Ridge, the natural world is everywhere and is for everyone. Nature was originally created to be enjoyed, to study, and to learn from. As species, that is what we do, enjoy and learn from mistakes. To many people, a bird is a wild animal, or just another type of species from the natural mother, but like a human being. A wild bird can be the exact definition of resilience. Wild birds face challenges every day, every time that the season changes new problems come, like high temperatures, low temperatures, snow, or rain. They have to seek water, food, and refuge. And they must be alert 24/7 to avoid predators. It does it matter how many challenges the wild bird faces, he always will be ready to fly and fight another day.

Remember, resilience is just the ability or skill to recover quickly from changes or misfortunes. We’re all going to have difficult circumstance in life, but you can always remember the birds — be like them face the problem, and be ready to fly again. | JLS

English is a second language for JL Sandoval. He writes from Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras, Oregon.