My Marvels   

                                                                      

- Dorothy Hastings-James

When brainstorming my seven wonders, I chose to select only the wonders that I felt were worthy enough to be honored with such a name. I found the task rather difficult since infinite aspects of the world amaze me; however, after some thought, I came up with the seven wonders that I found most awe-inspiring.

         

The vast abyss above us provides the first of my wonders. The picture perfect artwork of the galaxies and system of planets shows the true miracle of what God gave us. Several people devote their lives to the study of astronomy. I do not know a great deal on the subject. All I know is that when I can see the stars in the smog-filled Houston sky from the hammock in my backyard, I feel tiny in comparison. I can stare for hours in amazement, and not many things have the ability to keep me captivated in such a way.

The second of my wonders are the human beings who have pushed themselves to do their best. Oftentimes in the hustle and bustle of my life, I forget to take time to reflect on simple things, and I forget how capable people really are. When I think about how many advances have taken place in Houston alone I am amazed. Since my big move here in the summer of 2003, construction, for example, has been non-stop; all of the construction is simply out of human effort to constantly make improvements. When I feel powerless in this huge world, I just think of the people in history whose names I will never forget, and I feel more empowered and inspired to do something that I can be proud of because I’ll bet they felt that way at one point in their lives too.

A product of humans, technology provides my third wonder. Whenever in my boredom I ponder the mechanics of the gadgets that fill my house, I become utterly baffled. And to think… someone invented those gadgets from nothing. I’m stunned by the intelligence and creativity that some members of society are fortunately gifted with. We’ve come so far that I cannot even imagine a world without iPods, laptops, televisions, and DVD players.

         

My forth wonder is a place of harmony, peace, and love, away from the busy life that I’ve become so accustomed to. This place I speak of is the beautiful Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie, New York, where I stayed for one week this summer (as a member of the ISEA group). My interest in the trip to Sprout Creek arose because of the deep pain I feel in regards to mistreated animals. I needed this trip in order to see for myself that not all farms were inhumane, and the experience was surely the beautiful rainbow after the storm. I was in awe at the bond between animal and human; it appeared completely natural. The farm got me in touch with a side of me that I didn’t even know existed. It was truly unlike any place I’d ever dreamed of.

The fifth of my wonders is the utopian shelter of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. A place unlike anywhere on Earth, Dhahran represents the epitome of the “unimaginable place”. Growing up there, I led such a blissfully ignorant existence that many of the things that would have excited the majority of American children would have been completely foreign to me. Many people view this life inside a bubble as a negative thing since it provides everything except the real world, and it is true that living in such a fake world can result in a harsh future; however, I feel that despite the negative side to that kind of life, the resulting carefree happiness made it worthwhile.

 

Billy Shepherd and the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen of downtown Houston together are the sixth wonders. Witnessing the selfless serving of others bring me back down to earth; I feel reconnected with others in the community when I volunteer there. After all, we are all the same when it comes down to it; we are all human beings in need of nurturing.

My final wonder lies hidden betwixt trees in a loving house on stilts in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. This place is a place of comfort and happy memories. My grandparents’ house. As a child, taking the annual thirty-one hour air voyage always seemed worthwhile the moment I set foot in Grandma and

Granddad’s house. Everything about that house made me feel completely content: the smell, my small yet comfortable cot, the toys and games, the Casper tapes I woke up early to watch, and of course the memories with my cousins. That happy place and time will remain among my fondest childhood memories forever.

 

- Dorothy Hastings-James
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