Man has a desperate need to get in touch with the delicate balance of nature and find his place. People speak of the fact that they have little idea of the consequences of their actions, and in doing so, makes one reflect upon their lost connection with the world around them.
If only people would look back to roots of their being, how people used to live, instead of insisting on the "progress" that does indeed make life more interesting, enjoyable, easier, and faster, but removes them from the nature that they are very much a part of despite their denial. As a species, humans seek to build to shield, shelter, and ignore the outdoors around us. We take what we need from the Earth, only recently figuring out how to do that with conservation in mind.
Many of us who live and work in the modern world of concrete, glass, tainted food, poisoned water and air, punctual schedules, grinding traffic and a life dictated by economics will never get nor take the chance to find our true selves. Many of us will never become one with nature because we will never escape for a moment to even begin the journey.
Look at nature as being a giant tapestry that is composed of millions of finely woven intricate fabrics. Every one of those fabrics is integral to the beauty and cohesiveness of the entire tapestry. No one fabric has greater worth or utility. Now, instead of merely appreciating the tapestry as an observer, envision yourself as one of the fabrics รณ become one with the whole.
Philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau was constantly striving for a state of oneness with the natural world. He would spend hours upon hours engaging in the simplest tasks of just walking, observing, listening and feeling to attain this state. On appreciating the “fabrics” and the very shape they take, Thoreau notes, “How long we may have gazed on a particular scenery and think that we have seen and known it, when, at length, some bird or quadruped comes and takes possession of it before our eyes, and imparts to it a wholly new character.” The “fabrics” are dynamic, and the “tapestry is forever taking a new pattern or form.” Our lives too when fused with nature will continue to take new forms and paths all leading to richness and a sense of purpose.
Thoreau of course believed that, “In wildness is the Preservation of the world.” His prescription to oneness is quite simple. He wrote in his journal in 1851, “How important is a constant intercourse with nature and the contemplation of natural phenomena to the preservation of moral and intellectual health!”
In parting, I wish to leave you with this thought. Trees, grass, rivers, nature, flows and grows effortlessly. Unlike humans, they do what they do, naturally. We choose to have stress, frustration, busy lives and will not put it down long enough to take in our natural surroundings. Be IN Nature and feel it's energy every time you get the opportunity and thank the creator for allowing you to be a part of such an amazing world. Take care of it, make conscience choices to preserve it like it is a member of your family. Nature is God and if you want to feel close to him....Go take a hike.
