This week while reading Rain by Kathleen Norris, I came to realize how often it is that we miss out on the small things in life. In Norris’ text, the author wrote a short essay concerning the various properties of rain. It was an interesting read as it brought up many features of rain I did not know or ever consider. For instance, I never thought of how rain on a hot day can ruin wheat. In this section, the phrasing the author used to describe how rain “literally burns wheat,” was something that stuck with me. Not in the sense of any kind of advanced syntax or meaning, I really enjoyed the exaggeration that the author used. It is something uncommon in a lot of writing I have come across and it made the essay a lot more personal to me.
The reason for composing the essay is what sparked my interest more than the actual text within it. In the pretext of the essay there was a small quote by William C. Sharman that stated, “Above all, it is a land in serious need of rain.” Upon reading this quote, at first I questioned its significance and shrugged it off. After making it through the rest of the essay, to be honest, I did not really get much of out it. I sat and questioned what I was supposed to get out of it then I thought: “Oh well. It is pretty short anyway, I will try and read it again.” So I took the time to reread the essay and immediately I became fixated on the quote by Sharman. In summation, all the essay was discussing is how it took the author to move to a drought filled area in South Dakota to realize how beautiful rain really is. Giving rise to the commonly heard saying, “You never know what you have, until its gone.” The quote was literally just stating how badly the land needed rain implying the need for it among its inhabitants. Although I kind of got this point by the time I read the farmer at the end of the essay, understanding the quote made the essay so much more memorable to the me. It summed it into such fewer words.
After reading, I found myself staring at the way random objects existed. I tried to truly enjoy my walk to class this morning. I watched the way wind was received by left over scraps of leaves, the movement of the cherry blossoms that are blooming outside the Wang Center, and the smiles people wore as they made their way to hangout on Staller Steps.
I even thought of the White Wonderland photograph I took at the Wang Center two weeks ago. The photo of the art piece that initially confused me so much was what I used for reference. I thought back to how frantically I looked for order and how intellectually uneducated I felt when I failed to notice anything for ten minutes. Eventually I came to the realization that maybe this is the point. Due to the way testing happens in our society we fail to think back down to simple concepts. Often we focus on the larger picture. We become obsessed with questions like: what does this metaphor mean, what is the theme, what kind of archetypal reference was placed in this sentence. These questions affect us so much that we often fail to realize how the pieces come together and to build a purpose in us as the reader. Now I realize more than ever that in White Wonderland, the art was created by the different folds in origami and becomes whole when each individual piece comes together to help create the bigger piece. In my photo what interests me most is the amount of intricacies that are involved in the form of art. The way the light illuminates as well as covers certain holes in the photo amazes me.
Upon doing some research as well as trying to practice what I preach, I went on my computer to search online for things that can either brighten the day or things that often go unnoticed. Below I listed two links. Among some of the links I liked how the author brought attention to things as simple as zippers and door hinges. In the 40 little things that make a big difference in your day I enjoyed thinking about how a simple smile from a stranger can make a difference. Often this is something I tend to do as it was a habit brought up my parents when I was younger to always try and smile when you meet eyes with someone. Although it is something I always feel guilty for doing because it could unfortunately be something thought of as weird it is a habit that I cannot shake off. The moments when others smile back and continue on with their day is one of the small things that I find having the habit beneficial.
40 Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Day
20 Everyday Little Things Left Unnoticed I Inspirationfeed
The Personal Essay 
Hi Jose,
Like Dr. Lucenko brought up in class today, the connection you made between Kathleen Norris’s “Rain” and Seo Wonju’s White Wonderland is very interesting. I, too, agree with you on that noticing the things that are often neglected can be a fresh experience. Every autumn, I always ponder when leaves began to fall from the maple trees that I pass by every morning. Perhaps, I was in a rush to get to by first class, so hastily, that I didn’t notice the small changes that took place. What you said about the regression from the simple concepts in a fast-pace world is very truly. Many arts probably are not created with a well-defined purpose, and that simplicity alone might just be the most attractive part. It was good to read about another perspective on White Wonder which I had not thought of myself.
Weijia
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Hi Jose! This is a great blog post! I like how you tied together a reading, your personal experience, artwork, and links to other material. Within these links, it was nice to find aspects of life that I often think about without actually putting them down on paper. As we discussed in class, I thought that rain could be a symbol for the struggles that might take place during one’s life. Upon reading your post, I thought more about the other, positive side of rain. This is interesting because I feel the same way when it rains; while some rainy days can seem dreary at first, there is often something bright and beautiful about rain. Similar to what Weijia commented above, I began to really appreciate the incredible array of colors amongst the trees on campus this past autumn. This small part of my day really stood out to me on a particular walk through campus, and I am glad that I did not overlook it.
I would like to build upon the idea of focusing on small components of a big picture. I can relate to your interpretation of art that you described in this blog post. Sometimes, when I read or observe something, I like to specifically pay attention to a passage in a book or particular aspects of art. Often, I think that it is not always necessary to have to gain some larger meaning from what we are doing. Instead, it can be nice to be really moved by a single paragraph or the way that two colors interact on a canvas. That is why I really enjoy discussing our favorite parts of the readings during class. Often, I find that one passage really resonates with me and brings other ideas to life. Invariably, this contributes to my understanding of the entire reading as a whole.
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