Nature and I
It is very sad that even the Amazon is not left alone by the human activities and our disregard for nature.
I am worried, about us, the people, and the planet.
Actually I am not just worried about the planet, I am hurt. I see myself surrounded by wood, in all directions, in all corners, above and below. I wonder sometimes, how many trees have been cut for me to have this comfortable space, how many animals, birds, insects and micro organisms affected, how many cries and deaths. Was a village evacuated, were some aboriginals forced to move, could they survive afterwards?
At the same time, I can’t blame anybody for any of this. I am a part of it, infact I enjoy the beautiful space that I live in, all the comforts and luxuries it provides. This internal conflict haunts me.
What is done, is done; I am, who I am; and the things are the way they are. The question is now, what can I do?
The truth is, there is no way for me to live, without hurting, or destroying some part of the nature. Infact, I am very much dependent on nature to be bourn, to grow, and to live. The easiest way I can stop consuming natural resources, is killing myself. That way, immediately, I end the conflict.
But wait.
From an evolutionary perspective, every organism on this planet, is a part of nature. Nature and I, we are not separate at all. I am a part of nature, and therefore I am nature. Every tree, bird, animal, insect or micro-organism, every living being on this planet, is a part of my life — more than I was ever taught to believe. I am very much dependent on all of them, and they, at some extent, are very much dependent on me — that’s the way of nature.
I grew up in small town in India. Mind my words, a small town in India is only small area-wise, not population-wise, which puts even more pressure on the natural resources. I was taught by others (or I learned from their behaviors), that the nature is out there somewhere, away from the town, where we go for a picnic and sightseeing. But we, are people. We belong here in the town, in the house, in the comfort and safety of the concrete, and wood. We grow trees around the house, so it looks pretty. Yes, nature is very pretty, but the concrete comes first. If you need some space to make a house, you cut down trees. If you need some furniture, you cut down trees. Because, you know, we are humans, and we come first, before nature. Yes we can climb trees and be happy listening to the songs of the birds, but we are different from all of them. We are humans.
The thing is, it’s not just me. It’s every little kid growing up in the modern way of living, and it is very worrying, very very worrying. The distance that we have created between us and nature, it doesn’t really exist at all. We are just more conscious than other species’ in nature, and therefore, we took it as our right to dominate all of them.
The line between me and nature disappeared whenever I went to semi-untouched parts of nature. When the beauty and peace within me was so overwhelming that it made me forget what I was taught. When the sounds of the birds, animals, the leaves waving with the wind, the flowing water, all seemed to be connected to my heartbeat. And then, as a young boy I had learned science and history. I knew that we are not really separate from nature, and there is something very wrong with the modern way of living. But at that time, I felt powerless to do anything about it.
Also, the whole argument that we should take care of nature, because we are dependent on it, is fundamentally wrong. This is a very selfish perspective — “unless we do something about nature, we as a species will not have a chance to survive.” Or, “we should save wild animals so our great grandchildren can see them.” Where is your love for nature? Where is the realization that you as a human being, are a part of nature,thus you are nature?
I am 24 now, and I do believe I have the power to do something for nature, for the love of nature, for being a part of the macro-organism that nature is, for allowing other species’ to be co-dependent on me.
One aspect of living the life I love, is to create more than I have been destroying, to plant more trees than the many that have been being cut for my luxury, to help more organisms thrive,than the many that have been being killed to support my very existence. I will die happily, if I am able to achieve this in my lifespan of a few decades.
