A Beauty That is Taken for Granted: Our Freedom as Americans

When I drive home I always pass the airport. One day last week I was driving past and it was very windy day. I was thinking about the list of things that we had to find that represented beauty just as I looked over to the American flag at the airport. It was flying around like crazy from the wind and it immediately caught my eye. I drive past this flag at least twice a day but rarely do I ever notice it or think about what it represents. For over 200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of our nation's strength and unity. It's been a source of pride and inspiration for millions of citizens. It represents that we are a free country and that we have soldiers fighting for that freedom everyday. This is a beauty that I defiantly take for granted.

Acts of Beauty: Selfless act performed by a person, a group of people, or a living thing wishing to assist or cheer someone, or simply doing something that they enjoy. It can even be an everyday act that some people take for granted, not realizing that not everyone has the ability to do so.

One act of beauty that always touches me is the innocence of children. Children can take anything ordinary and make it seem like it's the most entertaining thing in the world. They don't need parties, or malls or technology to have a good time. For example, when I babysat over the weekend the two girls in the picture, Ava and Ali, played is the leaf pile below them for at least an hour. They laughed and had smiles on their faces the entire time. They loved to rake them up and jump inside, ruining the pile. Then did the same thing over and over again. They also would play tag, chase their puppy until they would fall down from exhaustion, and climb the fence surrounding their backyard. It just brought a smile to my face that one little, simple backyard could be home to such an amusement park. And that only those children could have showed me that.

Another act of beauty that I have witnessed is the beauty of a team. Our Thief River Falls varsity volleyball team show that when a group of people working towards a similar dream they can create an unbelievable bond. This picture shows when they are extremely happy after winning the game on Tuesday against Roseau. Nothing but smiles was seen on their faces. And everyone couldn't stop hugging each other. They looked more like a family than a team. And that is an act of beauty in itself.

Artificial Beauty

Beauty can also be created, and that is where artificial beauty fits in. Design and creativity in architecture, construction, artwork, and technology are just a few areas in which beauty is created using human hands.

While walking through Thief River Falls I found artificial beauty over by the dam. Across the walkway were these beautiful windows that showed the reflection of what was behind me. It was simple, but the concept and the colors were beautiful.

Then, there was the bottom of the dam. Even though mad-made, the white rushing water was a powerful beauty. Intimidating as it is, the rushing sound was calming. Also, the red roofed buildings behind the water brought a bright color into the picture which added another artificial beauty.

Natural Beauty

Natural beauty is something that is simply enjoyable to gaze at. This type of beauty is untouched, and is beautiful without any other influence. Natural beauty is easy found in nature. 

I took a walk along the river behind my house and noticed that the leaves that were left were very few. But since they were some of the last, they looked brighter that anything else in the woods. All other colors were dark, cold, and dreary. These leaves held beauty because they were the last form of life that the summer left behind. 

Also, the river caught my eye. Water is always beautiful and when it flows calmly and quietly, it gives a feel of peace. 

Finally, on my way back to the house I noticed that the sun was low and peering through the leave less trees. It for some reason, when I took the picture, gave off a purplish color and I found that beautiful.