A blog is more than just a place to dump thoughts and ideas, it's a space for exploration and discussion. It does not act as a conversation, as it is one sided, but it can still be just as thought provoking. In this space, I will explore not only the theories and ideas that I have studied at SUNY Fredonia, but I will touch on topics that I wish to know more, or that I wish to elaborate on further. So I raise the question: Why should anyone want to explore or discuss ideas and experiences?
EXPLORATION
As defined by Oxford Languages, exploration means "to travel in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it." This does not mean that you have to know nothing about a topic to be an explorer, it just simply means that you are in search of more knowledge. Everything that you may already know will just help you along the way. It is a part of human nature to be curious, and to want to know more about what surrounds us. However, what we choose to seek out will vary between individuals, as we have different areas of interest. For example, most of the areas that I wish to know more about have to deal with music, but there are still many subjects outside the music realm that interest me.
ANALYSIS
The next step beyond exploration is analysis, which is when a higher level of thinking comes into play. It is one thing to explore and experience a subject area, but it is another to reflect on the experience and think about the why and the how. If you are exploring a flowing creek just beyond your property, in the moment you might be making a list of what you see, and noting what you are feeling. Afterwards, you might wonder why there was a fallen tree over the water. Could it have bene chopped, or maybe a storm knocked it over? Those questions are a part of the analysis stage, and are generally what give us the answers we seek. Exploration can give us the physical satisfaction of being there, and seeking out more experiences, but analysis will ease the natural want to know more, and to seek out the answers that we don't know.
SO WHY SHOULD I?
We often get caught up in trying to survive in this society, and forget that the whole world is out there for us to see. Too many of us have placed ourselves inside the box of "this is what society expects of me" and are afraid to stray outside of it. Whether you are exploring a new store or restaurant, a park across town, or a landmark in a different state: there is something out there for you, just waiting to be found. So go out there and find it, and think about what you are searching for while you are there. Maybe you'll find something new that interests you along the way and you can plan your next adventure.
GO GET OUT THERE!
Zachary Bills
7 March 2022
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