Nature: resolute, timeless, beautiful. A truth written upon the Earth that speaks through the trees, the wind, the waves. A serenity that buzzes and sings through myriad bundles of life. Little whispers that divulge nature’s mysteries—insights of her timeless past. A golden harmony that has changed throughout the ages and has stayed the same. She is resilient, beautiful, and resplendent. Truly, there is nothing that can match her majesty; nothing that can bring about the same meditative trance.
Why do I speak so? Well, once again I find myself reeling from a vacation, thrust back into the rapid pace of modern life. One moment breathing in mountain air and watching mighty pines sway in the breeze, and the next, barrelling down the freeway along with the thousands of other cars on their way to work. This isn’t my first time to experience this … hollowness, the void after experiencing the simple beauty of simply living, and it hasn’t become easier. Every time I am forced to contemplate the distance I have placed between myself and that resplendent truth; that majestic bounty of nature.
I am not writing this to bring about some great change, or to call upon the world’s leadership—as ineffective as it is—to preserve those places of beauty and tranquility. No, this is simply a moment of recognition. An understanding that our modern lives tend to forget what is truly wonderful, nature. Yes, family, home, and hearth are wonderful and even necessary, but maybe we have taken that home and hearth thing a bit too far.
I mean, I look about the city in which I live, and it’s paved from end to end with great swaths of forest being mowed down for new development. Sure, people need a place to live, but maybe we could be a little less needy? After all, nature’s bounty is what brought us humans to the heights we now enjoy. Maybe we could recognize that fact and forgo the third golf course? Or that newest housing development, no matter how nicely landscaped its shrubbery is?
Of course, maybe it’s just the country part of me that is feeling so dejected at returning to city life. My wife does seem to love the flashing lights and energy within the city’s concrete curves. And, I have to admit that, there is a certain allure to the plethora of choice laid out before you when you drive through a city block. Chinese food here, Italian food there, mini-golf, movie theaters, home improvement, grocery stores, bookstores, boutique shops, and just plain old stuff galore!
Honestly, it’s almost electrifying when you consider the possibilities. Yet, even when I have lived in the city for so many years, and especially after seeing my childhood home again, I am reminded of one thing. Nothing seems to put me quite at ease as nature’s caress. The wind on your cheek, the sway of a branch in the breeze, the call of birds, the smell of pine and wildflowers on the hilltop …
It’s like my dad says, “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.”
I guess if I am going anywhere with this, it’s to appreciate nature. From the blade of grass to the towering tree. She’s a beautiful beast and one we are blessed to enjoy.
Thank you all for reading! Stay tuned next week for more shorts and tidbits from me.
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