Commune with Nature

We are first of all a part of nature. We belong here on the earth with the plants and animals, breathing the air, drinking the water. We belong here. so easy to forget this. We build cities of concrete, asphalt, steal, plastic, and glass. We surround ourselves with an artificial environment, cutting ourselves off from the rhythms of nature. Artificial this, imitation that. 

          We don’t even use our bodies the way they are designed to be used. Instead of walking, we ride in machines with wheels from here to there and back again. Our legs don’t get the use they should. Instead of climbing stairs, we ride elevators and escalators. We drag our bodies around, almost, making much less use of our mussels than our grandparents and great-grandparents did. 

out of touch with nature. Artificial light is a biggie. we hardly know what darkness is anymore. At night we simply switch from natural light to artificial light. So we don’t have the deep appreciation for lightthat people had not so long go. We don’t know what the stars look like at night because the artificial light makes it difficult to see the stars.

          Even our food is something less than natural. So much of what we eat is heavily processed and “seasoned” with chemical additives. Even the vegetables we buy in a supermarket are processed and chemically treated – chemical fertilizers, chemical sprays to kill insects. What’s up, Doc? Your average supermarket carrot with a carrot you grow yourself or if you buy an organically grown carrot. Don’t get me started on tomatoes….

          We are first of all a part of nature, but we’re alienated from nature in many ways by our culture. So. If you make the extra efforts to be more in touch with nature, it will nourish your happiness.

          We are alienated from nature, but we don’t forget our need to be in touch with the natural world. We build parks even in our biggest cities, and weekends and holidays the parks fill with people to overcrowding. We need to be with the trees, the flowers, and the ducks in the ponds.

 In Tokyo, a few ducks arrive each year to stay in a cement pool in the middle of the city, and countless people stand around watching the mother duck and her growing ducklings. It’s a natural event, and Tokyo is not long on nature. We need to be touch with our natural environment, with animals and plants.

          You need to sit on a rock on the edge of a lake and simply look at the lake. You need to walk through a forest and sleep under the stars without the benefits of artificial light. You need to do these things. It’s absolutely necessary to nourish your happiness.