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March 15, 2007
A Compliment Of The Highest Kind
One of my blog readers, Corrado, left this comment on my last entry:
... and the wonderful thing is... that Nature through your eyes and tales becomes a wonderfully big nurturing entity... if only your touch and sensitivity to Nature's value and beauty - instead of much widespread emphasis on fear and discomfort one could face in Nature - was better distributed amongst the many, well... maybe things would get better in these environment-fragile days... If this whole ultra-running "thing" could make people really love the world we live in, as well as make them feel challenged as they try to inhabit it, survive in it, and live to tell the story for ongoing generations, well... maybe things might just gradually improve... thanks to the sort things you and your sweetie are doing... no kidding...
Thank you, Corrado. I cannot imagine receiving a higher compliment. Corrado's comment ilicits several thoughts and a few questions upon which I am going to ponder and ramble about in this blog entry.
In many developed countries like the United States, there currently exists a giant disjuncture between humans and the rest of the natural world. Many people do not identify or associate themselves with nature. Additionally, it seems that humans have aligned nature with feelings of fear and discomfort, as Corrado noted. Even more, some people have created the idea that humanity must fight against nature.
Personally, I am challenged to comprehend a divide between humans and the rest of nature. Originally, humans were as much a part of the natural world as the elk and bison I can see out my window right now. Today, whether we recognize this or not, we humans are still innately dependent on the natural world for our survival and well-being. I know that others also recognize human connectedness with nature; many cultures around the world embrace and interact with nature in profound ways.
So, where did the gap between humans and the rest of nature come from in our culture and others like it? Some argue that modern humans have departed from nature because nature is simple and primitive and we now prefer that which is techologically advanced. Others point to a lack of education and exposure to the natural world. Their thought logic: If we do not learn about and experience the natural world, then we won't understand it; if we do not understand the natural world, we cannot identify with it. Still others argue that humans have purposely alienated themselves from the natural world because they believe themselves to be special in their advanced evolutionary state. I'm not sure that we know, yet, where these anti-nature ideas came from.
As my readers know, I live and work in Yellowstone National Park, almost completely immersed in the natural world. If I look to the north from my house, I can see down the Gardner River Canyon, which is now chock-full of muddy snowmelt tumbling towards its intersection with the famous Yellowstone River. Looking south, I spot the divot in the ridgeline that is the pass at Golden Gate, where the paved road clings to golden yellow canyon walls as it heads towards places like Old Faithful. And to the east, Everett's Mountain fills my view; it's not particularly tall or attractive, but I know this mountain is important because bighorn sheep, which are rare in this area, live in protected respite upon it. Some evenings, I can hear the wolves howling or the coyotes yipping. In the fall, the bull elk bugling is incessant. And, in the summer, the ground squirrels in my yard really know how to chatter. Occasionally, I wake up in the morning to find that a herd of elk have bedded down in my yard for the evening. This afternoon, I had to remove 2 bison pies (I think you know what I am talking about.) from my sidewalk that were left by a passing bison herd. Two summers ago, I looked out the window just in time to see a black bear amble down the street in front of my house in the evening dusk. All of these things are, quite literally, intricate pieces of my life.
In his comment, Corrado describes nature as a "nurturing entity." I feel wholly nurtured by nature. The warm, gentle breezes that blow up and down the Gardner River Canyon in the summer tend to warm my soul and calm my nerves. Sometimes, the ground squirrel caucophany in my yard makes me laugh out loud in its silliness. When the sunlight bounces off the walls of the Gold Gate pass as I pedal by on my bike, I'm often energized into action. Living among big predators like bears who are higher on the proverbial food chain than me teaches me humbleness.
There is a natural healer in Sri Lanka who says, "Man is nature and by nature must he be nurtured." I couldn't agree more. I have the fortunate opportunity to interact with Yellowstone National Park visitors professionally and personally, and I have learned that lots of people feel nutured by nature. With frequency, I hear that a Yellowstone vacation has, "melted stress away" and "allowed me to get away from it all." Outside of Yellowstone, there are so many examples of humans calling upon the nurturing aspects of nature. Why do you think Central Park, a great, big, undeveloped green spot in New York, is so filled with people on a beautiful summer day? How come so many people's vacations revolve around outdoor activities like camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting? Why do spas, the ultimate source of rejuventation and renewal in our modern society, utilize aspects of the natural world, like water, mud, stones, and seaweed? And, as Corrado mentioned, trailrunning and ultrarunning are yet 2 more access points to the nurturing aspects of nature. I am sure most of us can recall many times when exposure to the natural world has made us feel peaceful, happy, content, and energized.
In this blog, I've posted other essays, soliloquies, and soapbox rants about environmental fragility of one sort or another, and that isn't my direction of travel in this entry. My only goal here is to identify the fact, no matter where we live and what we do, we are all innately connected to, have relationships with, and can be nurtured by nature.
If anyone is interested, I read this essay recently, and find it quite interesting. Its topics dance through some ideas I've written about today.
Posted by Meghan at March 15, 2007 4:32 PM
Comments
Meghan, your writing always flows with humility and grace and I have no doubt that it stems from the appreciation and relationship you share with your environment so intimately. I always love to hear about your daily encounters and the details you include in your writing. Liz and I spent one summer working in Yellowstone National Park and the memories I have of my adventures and runs feel like they happened just yesterday because of the awesomeness of the experiences that we shared during that time with our habitat. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and passing along the article. I hope to read the link you provided after I finish grading some cloning papers!:)Enjoy spring as it arrives slowly in the park.
Posted by: mary at March 15, 2007 8:25 PM
I think a lot of people don't like nature because it is uncomfortable - too hot, too cold, too wet, too dusty, too...too...too. They like their air-conditioned homes, the ease of travel by car, all the comfort our modern world offers. There are people who don't like exertion - not even walking, so they don't get out either. And then there's the people who go to Yellowstone and are disappointed that's it's so...so natural. They really don't get that the park doesn't have control of the timing of Old Faithful, or the smell of the pools, or the wandering (and the danger) of the bison. I find it amazing that it can be like this.
In some ways, I'm a fearful person - spiders, crunchy bugs, snakes, moving at high speeds - I like a little control, but I love the challenge of a run or a hike through the wilderness, or, as long as it doesn't involve ropes and ice-axes, a hike up Rainier. It gives you a chance to see the world in a more intimate way.
Posted by: backofpack at March 15, 2007 10:20 PM
... and thanks to you for some enlightening reading. I suppose one thing is to speak form the gut; another is to actually try to codify, research, substantiate, as hard as it is, to try to prove - not to enslave, or overpower but simply to show - that some fields of thoughts are worth pursuing. For a greater good? Because it makes sense to cooperate? And maybe, because it also, simply, feels good :-) ah, but the taste of self-generated, high-quality, well-refined endorphines... i suppose one should work on how to share them... maybe writing is a vehicle... off to running related activities...
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at March 17, 2007 8:55 AM
I think the disconnect between man and nature was created by the refrigerator. The hunt now consists of hitting the produce department followed by a swing through the deli, meat, canned goods, frozen meals, chips, salsa, and wine.
Posted by: Eric at March 18, 2007 10:33 PM