Friday Flashback: The Fear of Nature

Four years ago I wrote a long article trying to understand and explain the physical, psychological and intellectual evolution of the human species through the advent of ‘civilization’ and how that has given rise to a physical and psychological separation from nature, and a culture of living inside our heads, all of which have disconnected us from, and made us ignorant of, how natural systems work, and hence instilled in us a deep-seated fear of nature.

I said that, as I was able to relearn and rediscover how natural systems work, the fear disappeared and I was filled with awe and wonder. I concluded:

If you were to ask me if, at age 52, I would be willing to give up the rest of my life for the chance to experience five years as a songbird (an average lifespan for such birds — though crows and geese live 15-20 years and parrots 80 or more), to give up the security and intelligence and property I have accumulated and live free of the demands of human life, spending an hour or four each day finding food, and the rest of the day simply living, just being alive as part of this wonderful, magical world, to be completely free of any demands orrestrictions, to be able to fly, I would say: In a heartbeat.

Read the rest.

1 Response to Friday Flashback: The Fear of Nature

David Drews says:

May 25, 2008 at 17:09

Nicely written, David.It’s very interesting to see the change in style; you’ve become more of a romantic, haven’t you.I’ve seen many of the same mysterious and wonderful things at my backyard feeders. This reminds me of the comment made by Kazantzakis’ character, Zorba, from his novel, “Zorba the Greek,” when he observes the wonder invoked when just the existence of a creature like a donkey is considered.And, it makes me sad and angry that so many people on this entrancing planet cannot experience this same wonder about the magic of living things.Thanks for the essay and the sharing, as always.David Drews