KERN

December 24, 2024

KERN

“We only have two kinds of weather in California, magnificent and unusual.”

– James M Cain

Hi Again,

KERN COUNTY
Nature is everywhere and it always manages to make its way through. Even in big industrialize cities, if I stop, take a deep breath and look, I always find some form of nature, weather I see a beautiful bird flying in the sky, or I see a colorful flower on display in a fancy store.

Kern is a central California County just north of Los Angeles, it was founded back in 1866, it is according to surveys, the third biggest county in the state, agriculture is a big part of the grow of their economy, competing with other regions all over the country and the hispanic population is dominant.

INVASION

In all honesty, I did not spend a lot of time in Kern County, however, in the last couple of years I did make short trips to and through this beautiful place that, in my opinion, is underestimate. Its history is complex only if one is not familiar with it; otherwise, it is very clear that foreigners wanted the rich land for their own, just like the rest of California. They, indeed, have the audacity to call the invasion of the state, an expedition.

But let us not make this an unsweetened political statement. Last summer, I made a trip to Kern County. I was not there for a camping trip, nor for a visit to some well known National Park, I went to a social event held at the city of Bakersfield. I took highway 65 South, and the driving was an experience of breathtaking views. Most of the County is a real treasure of nothing but plain nature.

A COYOTE

Nature is a promise that life is not just empty tasks that I have to accomplish everyday, life is more than uninspired everyday activities. Because of nature, the whole world is bigger and more colorful and more dynamic than I may think at first glance.

At one point during my trip, I remember looking to the right side of the road and seeing one of the most beautiful creatures: A coyote. It was thoroughly unexpected; I had to hold my breath for a second or two. The sunlight made the fur of the mammal looked brighter, the metallic shades of green in some parts of the body were beyond beautiful. The elegant creature looked at the cars passing by very much unconcerned, unafraid.

I remember wondering about the sort of life coyotes have. Many intriguing, but important questions, at that moment, pop in my head: For how long do they live in the wild?, What do they eat?, How do they died?. What is more, it made me think about my own life and how captivating it is to live in a vibrant place like California.

SENSE OF AWE

After the trip, I kept thinking about wild life. This life, will continue its course and nature will make its way through. I know there will be others, just like me, that hopefully get to experience nature with a sense of awe, the same way I had on my short trip to Kern County.

The boundless land ahead, waited patiently, in this ruthless expedition we called life, for the coyote to continue and merge as one with the horizon, as he walked away. Unlike myself, for the coyote, there was no rush to get from one point to the other, there was no agenda, no datelines, not being irritated by a foreign invasion that happened more than a hundred years ago; for the coyote it was, well, just life.

HAPPY TO BE ALIVE

It has been said by philosophers and romanticized by poets through history, that being in contact with nature might exalt mankind. I cannot say for sure if the hurried encounter with the coyote exalted me in any way, however, the brief connection I had, with the remarkable nature that exists in Kern County, made me feel very happy to be alive.

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