The Refuge

I was thinking today about all the trips that I used to take to the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, or just the refuge as we called it. The refuge is about 15 miles outside of Starkville, home of Mississippi State University (MSU). The refuge consists of 48,000 acres. Two large lakes(Bluff lake 800 acres; Loakfoma lake 400 acres), and a host of smaller lakes, streams and creeks. The refuge is just that, but wildlife is not all that seeks refuge there. Because of the close proximity to MSU it has also became a place of refuge for thousands of college students over the years. "Let's go and ride to the refuge" is a common phrase often heard around Starkville. Whether after class in the afternoon, or at 4am to wait for the sunrise, the refuge is a place to get away for a little while. The sheer beauty at Goose Overlook in those few minutes before sunrise/after sunset is something that one who has ever seen it will soon forget. The vast peacefulness is something that resonates through hundreds of miles to the place where one goes after their time at MSU. Sitting here at my desk in Gulfport MS, I can still feel the cool November breeze sitting on Morgan Hill overlook, I can still smell the humid August air at 3am hanging out of a certain 4- runner's sunroof, I can still hear the "refuge mix" CD that every refuge frequenter had in their car. This, more so than football games, fraternity parties, late nights, and campus, is what is miss the most about MSU. Mr. Webster defines refuge as: a place that provides protection. The refuge provides just that protection; protection from class, tests, responsibilities, buildings, technology, urbanization, and progress. It takes you out of a place of collegiate chaos and into a place of wild peaceful beauty.