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Articles:
Touch the Earth
Touch the Earth
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It has been said that if a person knows enough about plants that you could blind fold them and drop
them off anywhere on the planet and they could tell you exactly where they were. While that may be
true for the most part, it seems to me that with the sprawl of urban areas, we are transforming the
natural world so that it would be impossible for a person to tell where they were. I for one loathe
traveling on the interstate. From Mexico to Canada and from the Atlantic to the Pacific we have
allowed for our roadside to become a single homogenous mass of the same billboards, same big
box stores, the same crummy fast food joints and the same feedlots for our carbon belching
horseless carriages. Of course, for a person to be able to tell where they are based on the plant life
around them is kind of a neat trick, it does make one wonder how the animal life feels about the
situation. Those native plants are the food source, shelter and homes for our four legged friends.
With out the native landscape to surround them, they are truly lost.
them off anywhere on the planet and they could tell you exactly where they were. While that may be
true for the most part, it seems to me that with the sprawl of urban areas, we are transforming the
natural world so that it would be impossible for a person to tell where they were. I for one loathe
traveling on the interstate. From Mexico to Canada and from the Atlantic to the Pacific we have
allowed for our roadside to become a single homogenous mass of the same billboards, same big
box stores, the same crummy fast food joints and the same feedlots for our carbon belching
horseless carriages. Of course, for a person to be able to tell where they are based on the plant life
around them is kind of a neat trick, it does make one wonder how the animal life feels about the
situation. Those native plants are the food source, shelter and homes for our four legged friends.
With out the native landscape to surround them, they are truly lost.
While I care greatly for the
homeless animal folks out there, I
feel that with our society’s push for
having more, we are quickly putting
ourselves into the same boat. The
land itself is the basis of all health
and wealth. When we destroy the
land we are destroying ourselves
at the same time. With the
homogenization of our landscape,
we are quickly losing touch with the
land and without that we are lost.
Vine Deloria, Jr. wrote extensively
on Power and Place. He even
boiled it all down into a simple
equation. (Power +
Place=Personality) Without place
we can have no power. And
modern American society has
definitely lost it sense of place and
homeless animal folks out there, I
feel that with our society’s push for
having more, we are quickly putting
ourselves into the same boat. The
land itself is the basis of all health
and wealth. When we destroy the
land we are destroying ourselves
at the same time. With the
homogenization of our landscape,
we are quickly losing touch with the
land and without that we are lost.
Vine Deloria, Jr. wrote extensively
on Power and Place. He even
boiled it all down into a simple
equation. (Power +
Place=Personality) Without place
we can have no power. And
modern American society has
definitely lost it sense of place and
and connection to the land and every place we lose on our quest for progress and material goods,
makes the connection that much harder to reclaim.
But, all hope is not lost. There are still a few places we can still touch the native soil beneath our
feet and try connect once again, if we will allow ourselves to listen. I decided awhile back that life
was not meant to be experienced at 60-70 mph. As we hurry around, rushing from one little box to
another, we tend to loose focus on the things that really matter in life. While speeding along our
brains are consumed with watching out for other drivers, where we are going, the billboard displays,
the ringing cell phone, and the blather of the idiots on the radio. All of this leaves us with a severely
limited ability to even notice, much less truly appreciate the real world around us. I once came
across an article that stated that our brains can process 7200 pieces of information a minute. With
all of the distractions in the modern world we loose most of computational ability to processing the
deluge of advertising information and flashing gewgaws that invade our minds. I think that while a
Koradjis, living a primitive lifestyle may not have all the modern gadgets that we have at our
fingertips; he is living a much richer life. While walking along the game trail, imagine the
understanding of the world one would gain when all 7200 tidbits of information that is being
processed by the brain revolve around the formation of dew on a single blade of grass. The results
of such an uncluttered thought process and lack of distraction, would surely be an understanding of
the world that none of us could even begin to contemplate. So, slow down. Focus on the real world.
Leave, for at least a little while, the modern trappings behind. That is the only way to have a deeper
understanding of the world. At least that is the hope.
makes the connection that much harder to reclaim.
But, all hope is not lost. There are still a few places we can still touch the native soil beneath our
feet and try connect once again, if we will allow ourselves to listen. I decided awhile back that life
was not meant to be experienced at 60-70 mph. As we hurry around, rushing from one little box to
another, we tend to loose focus on the things that really matter in life. While speeding along our
brains are consumed with watching out for other drivers, where we are going, the billboard displays,
the ringing cell phone, and the blather of the idiots on the radio. All of this leaves us with a severely
limited ability to even notice, much less truly appreciate the real world around us. I once came
across an article that stated that our brains can process 7200 pieces of information a minute. With
all of the distractions in the modern world we loose most of computational ability to processing the
deluge of advertising information and flashing gewgaws that invade our minds. I think that while a
Koradjis, living a primitive lifestyle may not have all the modern gadgets that we have at our
fingertips; he is living a much richer life. While walking along the game trail, imagine the
understanding of the world one would gain when all 7200 tidbits of information that is being
processed by the brain revolve around the formation of dew on a single blade of grass. The results
of such an uncluttered thought process and lack of distraction, would surely be an understanding of
the world that none of us could even begin to contemplate. So, slow down. Focus on the real world.
Leave, for at least a little while, the modern trappings behind. That is the only way to have a deeper
understanding of the world. At least that is the hope.
I think that just be spending more
time in the great outdoors, we can
become much closer to fulfilling
that hope. That is why, outside of
my friends and family, the things
that I hold most dear, are the tools
that allow me to leave the hectic rat
race for a while. My kayak, a good
pair of hiking shoes, a comfy
backpack and my health, are the
things that I need to stay sane in
this crazy world. Knowing that I too
can escape and wrap my brain
around the formation of due on a
single blade of grass, gives me
hope that the land is also able to
share with me, and grace me with
the power of place. As I become
more accustomed to the natural
world, I find it easier and easier to
relax, listen and learn just what it is
that the land has to offer. It is
time in the great outdoors, we can
become much closer to fulfilling
that hope. That is why, outside of
my friends and family, the things
that I hold most dear, are the tools
that allow me to leave the hectic rat
race for a while. My kayak, a good
pair of hiking shoes, a comfy
backpack and my health, are the
things that I need to stay sane in
this crazy world. Knowing that I too
can escape and wrap my brain
around the formation of due on a
single blade of grass, gives me
hope that the land is also able to
share with me, and grace me with
the power of place. As I become
more accustomed to the natural
world, I find it easier and easier to
relax, listen and learn just what it is
that the land has to offer. It is
something that I hold very dear to my heart. But the dearest gift is one that is given and not the one
that is received, so it is my pleasure to try and share just a bit of that world and hopefully to inspire
others to also slow down little, spend a bit of time in the outdoors and to start putting things into their
proper perspective.
that is received, so it is my pleasure to try and share just a bit of that world and hopefully to inspire
others to also slow down little, spend a bit of time in the outdoors and to start putting things into their
proper perspective.
