Thankful that nature is part of us (11/23/2022)

Of late, I have become increasingly introspective. Whether that a sign of the changing seasons and the approaching solstice, Christmas, and New Year, or just a sign of aging and the approaching consideration of retiring, I really don’t know and couldn’t care less. As my regular readers know, when I become more introspective, I start asking the perpetual question: Why the hell, am I writing this blog? I have seen so many blogs or bloggers who quit after so many years. Is it worth those measly 200+ readers every month? Last month I had 224 hits and this month I am already up to 374 hits; the average this year is 205). As you can see, I am no influencer, nor did I ever intent to be one. I have nothing to sell or to give away right now. If you want me to sponsor or promote you or your product, we can talk I would not mind. I have bought and used products from various bonsai suppliers and maybe one day I’ll write a review about what I like and what I did not.

Early on this blog was meant to document my travels through Virginia as an instructor. I had learned to love this state and discovered all it’s beauty. Having studied photography in the past and giving it up as a serious hobby or even as a possible profession, I felt this was a way of rekindling it. Soon the captions with the photographs started taking over and I felt I had so much more to say that could accompany those photographs; the story behind the photographs, the items that I could not capture, things on my mind. If you are a regular reader, you have seen me mention that before. This blog became a diary of sorts, a reflection of my thinking at times, a travel log, my political rant, and as I mentioned in my last post my way of trying to educate, maybe one or two readers so now and then, or at least help them think critically.

But I do not write every waking moment of my life. So, what do I do in my spare time, when it is either dark outside, when I don’t work, don’t write these damn posts, walk my dogs, work on my bonsai trees, cook, or bake bread? Notice I left out any water-based activities like kayaking and sailing as well as biking! Somehow, I need to get back into them, but I have not sailed or kayaked for a long time. Ever since I broke my wrist, I have shied away from biking, although my wrist is completely healed. Then to hear folks near us were killed while riding bikes and broke all kinds of bones. That does not help us getting back on the bikes. But I increased my time dedicated to the environment, nature, and my bonsai.

The real answer is, I watch a lot of YouTube videos, read blogs, and listen to podcasts. My wife and I keep telling each other that we need a life, and we should go see a movie or watch a TV show, so we can talk “intelligently” with friends and colleagues about current cultural things.

What I am trying to convey here is my love for the world. The YouTubes and podcasts mostly deal with nature, science, and human interaction. Few of the latest ones I took in was the YouTube video by Mirai on Ryan’s creation of the different U.S. forests. I also listened to his interview with folks who climb the big trees in California for research as part of the forest creation; this was on his Asymmetry podcast. Both were great. While I already know this, I appreciate more and more the fact that I am part of nature and that I can not function without it. I need it to recharge; when I walk in the woods, I need to touch a tree trunk with my bare hands, feel it, be one with it, be one with nature.

Truthfully, we are part of nature, and that is very important to remember. The natural world does not care who we are, what we look like, what we wear or even what are political leaning is. I keep reminding myself of that and the need to honor all species (although maybe not the roaches and mosquitoes that invade our home at times). But what I am trying to say is that with my forest bathing, with my walks in nature, with my bonsai and trying to recreate those old trees, and just being in the moment, I am aware that I am part of a whole, a minute part of this earth. That is what I have been realizing more and more these past few months.

I was reading an on-line article which discusses the fact that without life in general, this earth would not exist. There would not be limestone, or even soil, both of which are formed by life. Organic matter would not exist, carbon without life? You get the message? The earth would look like Mars. Damn, an interesting concept, isn’t it? The earth and the evolution on it formed life (read us), and life is part of the formation or evolution of the earth. We all affect each other. Now in the Anthropocene the impact of humans seems to be accelerated and not in a positive way (I know, here I go again, and I’ll stop).

But all you, my 200+ readers of my posts sit back, take a deep breath, and think about it. You are part of nature and nature is part of you! With everything you are doing you are impacting the Earth and you can choose whether that is mostly positive or negative. The Earth will give you the same treatment in return since it is part of you. The problem is that it is also part of your children, grand-children, and generations to come. They bare the consequences of our actions or inaction. Introspective anyone?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I had to steal this picture from the Rodin museum in Paris.  I visited it in 1976 and need to do it again soon.  But this is probably how I currently feel the most, contemplative.