RST 242With Richard Hazelwood

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Jason Cunningham
RST 242
Richard Hazlewood
12 December 2016
Environmental Autobiography
My first distinct connection to nature and forests that I can remember had been when I
was about 8 years old. My family had just moved had recently moved and were one of the first
families to live in the developing neighborhood. One part of our neighborhood that stood out the
most was a small forest just beyond the developing homes.
At the time, I was terrified of forests. I felt they had an inherent eeriness to them. It did
not help that I was shown horror movies that played into this hylophobia like The Blair Witch
Project, and The Village. My parents also knew of the forest in the neighborhood and warned me
and my siblings not to go there alone, and if my parents were afraid of me going in there, I was
sure there had to have been something sinister lurking inside.
For most of my life, I have kept the idea of nature and religion separated. It was until
only recently that I discovered how profound an influence nature had on the development of
religious ideologies like demons and other creatures of the unknown. The Hellenic folklore of
various creatures that were devoted to wine, dancing and lust, as well as striking blinding
fear in wilderness travelers, helps me understand how there can be a polarizing view of nature.
One side arguing it is a home for sinister creatures and madness, the other defending it as a home
of solace and self-actualization (Nash 11).
The kids around the neighborhood also shared scary stories of kids who were baited into
the forest, now dubbed Narnia, never to return. There would be rumors of wolves, demons and

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even aliens who lived in the forest. One story that was popular was that there was a high schooler
that mysteriously died in the forest and haunted all children who wandered in at night. The story
was enough to keep myself from wandering in Narnia for a long time. Even though these stories
were completely made up, they still quickly established the forest as a place of infamy.
One cool autumn night, three of my friends and I were at a party when some of the kids
were reminded of the story of the Ghost of Narnia. While arguing about the storys legitimacy, a
group of kids wanted to find out if the rumors were true. My friends and I were dared to stay
inside the forest for a whole night and see if we could survive. Since we were on the side that
wanted to prove the forest would not gobble all who entered, we decided to take on the
challenge.
My friends and I gathered as much protection and food as possible for the night. I
remember sneaking out of my house with a dreadful feeling that I would never be able to see my
family again. I headed out of the comfort of home and into the awaiting Hell in Narnia.
Going into Narnia with my friends felt like we were soldiers preparing for the beaches of
Normandy. As we were walking down the bike path, I felt overwhelmed with dread and regret
and refused to step foot off the trail. I sat and stayed outside of the forest, at least until I heard the
howling of wolves a noise of other monsters outside. I quickly caught up.
As we descended into the forest, the terror quickly filled my head. Every tree looked
menacing, whispers and movement could be heard all around and were not even at our campsite
yet. It was sure to be a long night. We were all armed with flashlights but we knew that if there
was any threat coming our way we were doomed.

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As my eyes adjusted, my heart beat slowed and the wind brushed against me, I had
finally calmed myself and began to become comfortable. The subtle beauty of the forest was
mesmerizing, even at night. The night sky shined down on us and we enjoyed the calmness of the
forest trees swaying above. We found our campsite, set up our tent and sleeping bags and
enjoyed a calm, alien free night in the forest.
As dawn approached, we all had to get back before our parents could notice we were
gone. As light began to shine throughout the forest, I noticed just how beautiful things really
were, the air was full of the smell of grass and nutmeg, while the trees leaves were turning bright
orange and yellow. The small river that hugged the outside of the landscape was breathtaking; I
had seen it before, but not in such close proximity. As we left, we promised to revisit and explore
as much as we could again.
We would return to Narnia often for years to come to discover new things the landscape
had to offer. The forest itself was not really that large, it was just under a quarter mile in length.
But in that small space was a seemingly endless amount of memories of exploration, learning
and the occasional brush of danger. In other words, it was a world within a world, one that I have
a deep love for in my heart.
When it comes to nature, I believe that my time exploring Narnia is the primary influence
of my fondness toward it. I believe nature is a sacred place that people should go to discover
themselves. Forest preserves, national parks and other protected preservation areas are essential
to the development of peoples connection to nature. Philosopher Henry David Thoreau
associated healing forests, where their tonics and bark brace mankind, which I can relate to
during my time in Narnia (Nash 84).

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