There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is a society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean - roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin - his control
Stops with the shore; - upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain
A shadow of man's ravage, save his own,
When for a moment, like a drop of rain,
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown.
-Lord Bryon, 1812
I felt the need to include this poem here, on account of it being one of my favorites. This particular poem, especially the first stanza, describes accurately how I feel about the world.
It seems as though people always take the things that truly matter for granted. Instead of living a life full with meaning and actual substance, the majority chooses to ignore the natural order; and in doing so, they fill their lives up with shallow tangible items which in the long run do absolutely no good. There are two types of individuals who live this way: those who are ignorant of what else exists, and then those who are complacent and just cannot see big picture. The latter is the main culprit for many of our problems today. They knowingly and willingly bring not only themselves down but others as well. These individuals add meaning to their lives by buying items that fill the empty voids that exist within, and more often than not, they stay in a tiny sphere that includes only deficient man made entertainment. An example of this could be a person who spends his entire life in a city, watching T.V., shopping in a mall for the most current fashions, and attending social events that really serve no purpose but to waste time. I'm not saying these things in moderation are bad, but when these are all someone knows, then there is a problem. This type of person has a life which is virtually meaningless, and it can cause problems to all of humanity. Often, people who live in this manner are the ones that end up destroying the earth, slowly but efficiently, through subtle environmental degradation.
It utterly amazes me that a large part of the population doesn't see that there are much better ways to live. Personally, as the poem describes, I enjoy to spend my time and life for that matter experiencing the sublimity of nature. Be it either through hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, or just by taking a quick stroll outside. In order to achieve true happiness, one need not acquire possessions (that ultimately end up owning the owner); but instead obtain the intangible items which cannot be purchased, such as life changing experiences that bring individuals closer to the one thing that binds us all together- the earth.
In order for me to get a greater appreciation of nature, I strongly intend this summer to embark on a two week long hiking/camping trip in the wilderness of New York. At this current moment I have not decided the location; perhaps it will be in the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, the Appalachian trail, or the Lord knows where. The only aspect of this I can be certain of, is that I'm going to make it happen this year. For a long time I have wanted to do this, but I have not been able to muster enough motivation; however, I can confidently say this summer will be vastly different. Life needs to be lived; not from the sidelines, but from within the very center.
