Being Nature
“O to realize space!
The plenteousness of all, that there are no bounds,
To emerge and be of the sky, of the sun and moon
and flying clouds, as one with them.
O to have life henceforth a poem of new joys!”
Walt Whitman – A Song of Joys
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When I wake up in the morning and open my eyes to take the first look of my day, I am doing something that I’ve been doing now for over fifty years. I simply look and I automatically see what is there. This is such a common everyday experience, that more often than not, I don’t even realize the amazing nature of its occurrence. I open my eyes and, oh yes, there are the socks I was looking for…
Poets, gardeners and philosophers have long explored the world of nature as a source of knowledge, beauty and inspiration. A single flower can trigger dozens of poems. Our five senses are the personal tools that we humans use to touch, smell, taste, hear and see the world. And it is an effortless expenditure when our senses are working correctly. Perhaps that’s why we so often fail to be aware that we are even using them. We are sensate beings that function with ease. To make a point of being aware of our senses is a life-expanding experience. Instead of coasting along in our life on automatic pilot, we begin to notice the small and everyday wonders that are inundating our experience. Our senses provide a direct experience of our world and with nature itself.
Whitman says that we are as one with the world and nature. We are literally breathing the sky, drinking the river, and eating of the earth. This essentially closes the gap between us and nature. We are not only in nature, we are nature. To be alive is to feel your own aliveness as you move through this marvelous world of color, aroma and beauty.
Live Each Moment,
Dave