"And so, at the very best, we are nothing more than casual observers—never participants. Gazing at the landscape from a scenic bypass is not all that different from looking at pictures of trees on our phones. We're there, but not really there."
This really hits home for me.
I've spent my time hiking and trail running, but I made special trips to do those things. It was still one place removed.
This year, I'm just going outside, walking around, looking at plants and trees, observing birds, and noticing things I never saw before. Like how clusters of leaves grow on branches, how bumblebees randomly seem to pick the next flower, and how feathers are lost at random locations. How people walk around with their attention only on other people as they ignore all these things around them.
Good for you, Tim. I have to admit, this is just as much a reminder to myself to be more than a casual observer. Being present and noticing those tiny, beautiful details is something I'm trying to do more.
Love this, Alice. I'm reminded a quote from "The Land Ethic" by Aldo Leopold:
"Perhaps the most serious obstacle impeding the evolution of a land ethic is the fact that our educational and economic system is headed away from, rather than toward, an intense consciousness of land. Your true modern is separated from the land by many middlemen, and by innumerable physical gadgets. He has no vital relation to it; to him it is the space between cities on which crops grow. Turn him loose for a day on the land, and if the spot does not happen to be a golf links or a ‘scenic’ area, he is bored stiff. If crops could be raised by hydroponics instead of farming, it would suit him very well. Synthetic substitutes for wood, leather, wool, and other natural land products suit him better than the originals. In short, land is something he has ‘outgrown.’"
True in 1940, even more true today. It's why I'm making sure a concerted effort to ensure my kids are connected to the land -- not just "in" it, but "of" it. Getting their hands dirty in the garden, helping me get my gear ready for a hunt, being there (and helping, when they can) with processing. Whenever they can, they are touching, not looking. Thank you for sharing and looking forward to reading about your trip!
"And so, at the very best, we are nothing more than casual observers—never participants. Gazing at the landscape from a scenic bypass is not all that different from looking at pictures of trees on our phones. We're there, but not really there."
This really hits home for me.
I've spent my time hiking and trail running, but I made special trips to do those things. It was still one place removed.
This year, I'm just going outside, walking around, looking at plants and trees, observing birds, and noticing things I never saw before. Like how clusters of leaves grow on branches, how bumblebees randomly seem to pick the next flower, and how feathers are lost at random locations. How people walk around with their attention only on other people as they ignore all these things around them.
Good for you, Tim. I have to admit, this is just as much a reminder to myself to be more than a casual observer. Being present and noticing those tiny, beautiful details is something I'm trying to do more.
Love this, Alice. I'm reminded a quote from "The Land Ethic" by Aldo Leopold:
"Perhaps the most serious obstacle impeding the evolution of a land ethic is the fact that our educational and economic system is headed away from, rather than toward, an intense consciousness of land. Your true modern is separated from the land by many middlemen, and by innumerable physical gadgets. He has no vital relation to it; to him it is the space between cities on which crops grow. Turn him loose for a day on the land, and if the spot does not happen to be a golf links or a ‘scenic’ area, he is bored stiff. If crops could be raised by hydroponics instead of farming, it would suit him very well. Synthetic substitutes for wood, leather, wool, and other natural land products suit him better than the originals. In short, land is something he has ‘outgrown.’"
True in 1940, even more true today. It's why I'm making sure a concerted effort to ensure my kids are connected to the land -- not just "in" it, but "of" it. Getting their hands dirty in the garden, helping me get my gear ready for a hunt, being there (and helping, when they can) with processing. Whenever they can, they are touching, not looking. Thank you for sharing and looking forward to reading about your trip!
That's a great quote. Adding that to my list of quotes that make me go hmmmm