In some of my previous walks I noticed how few people were outside enjoying nature. I wondered at how many plopped themselves down on the couch and viewed nature on a screen rather than experiencing it for themselves.
I love being outdoors to listen, feel, hear, see, and touch the beauty and peace that surrounds me. I recalled a passage in an article titled A Life of the Senses by Richard Louv. This article says, "When I come here I can exhale. Here you can hear things; in the city, you can't hear anything because you can hear everything. In the city everything is obvious. Here you get closer and you see more."
Louv is right. He speaks about us losing our senses and the importance of getting back in touch with nature. Through this technological age we are losing vital experiences...nature. As I sat on my white rock I found peace from life's craziness. I could hear the sounds of the light breeze as it flowed past my ears and feel the small rocks underfoot as they pressed into the sole of my thin shoe. I noticed beauty in each of the different types lava and sandstone that lay in my path. My stress melted away and I felt centered and peaceful as I took the time to breathe, soak in nature, and let myself connect with nature as I have done in the past.
As Louv put it, how much of the "richness of life do we trade for our daily immersion in indirect, technological experience?" It is so important to get away from that indirect experience and immerse ourselves in the beauty that surrounds us. I believe if more people immersed themselves in nature we would find greater peace, happiness, and appreciation in ourselves and our surroundings.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
The walk that was a little too quiet.
When previously meandering through my neighborhood I wondered where the residents were hiding. However, while on my latest adventures I did find a few wonderful surprises...
Wandering around on a Sunday afternoon, my children and I were trying to find a park in which to play. We attempted 3 parks. At each park dozens of families filled every toy on the playground. Finally...parks full of life and adventure! It was beautiful to see and much different than our experience a couple of weeks previous.
Comically, we wanted less people around that day. :) So, we chose to take a bit more secluded walk.
On our walk we opened eyes and ears to the sights and sounds around us. I had finished reading an article by David Owen titled, "Oasis in a Dry Land". The article got me specifically paying attention to water and birds surrounding our path.
Feebly running through the park was the hint of what was intended to be a stream. The hope was clearly to bring life to the center of the park. Empty birds nests and crumbling habitats from furry creatures surrounded the banks of the stream and bases of trees. However, there were no creatures to be found. We wondered if it was like the lack of people at the park a few weeks ago? Were the birds and other creatures simply waiting for another time to emerge and play or was something deeper going on? This walk became much more private than we anticipated.
Wandering around on a Sunday afternoon, my children and I were trying to find a park in which to play. We attempted 3 parks. At each park dozens of families filled every toy on the playground. Finally...parks full of life and adventure! It was beautiful to see and much different than our experience a couple of weeks previous.
Comically, we wanted less people around that day. :) So, we chose to take a bit more secluded walk.
On our walk we opened eyes and ears to the sights and sounds around us. I had finished reading an article by David Owen titled, "Oasis in a Dry Land". The article got me specifically paying attention to water and birds surrounding our path.
Feebly running through the park was the hint of what was intended to be a stream. The hope was clearly to bring life to the center of the park. Empty birds nests and crumbling habitats from furry creatures surrounded the banks of the stream and bases of trees. However, there were no creatures to be found. We wondered if it was like the lack of people at the park a few weeks ago? Were the birds and other creatures simply waiting for another time to emerge and play or was something deeper going on? This walk became much more private than we anticipated.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)