(Photo courtesy of Mother Nature Network)
For week five of
Texts & Treks, our class embarked on an excursion to Overton Park to
discuss the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Overton Park is yet another hidden
gem of the Fort Worth metroplex, one I had not discovered until this trip. The place
we gathered was quiet and surrounded by forestry. Texas decided to treat us to
a bout of summer weather at the end of September. We found a bit of a relief
from the heat under a canopy of trees, although the sun still peaked through
and the humidity levels were rather high. The less than ideal weather, however,
reminded me of an important aspect of nature: uncomfortableness. In our modern
lives, we can find comfort almost everywhere we go. We have air-conditioned
homes, offices, and classrooms. We have comfortable clothes and access to all
kinds of eating and drinking options. We have become so use to comfort that
even a slight departure from it seems starkly foreign. To experience nature
though, in its truest and richest form, is to embrace the uncomfortable. It is
to experience the ups and downs of the weather, sit on the hard ground of the earth,
eat and drink what is available. Nature is not real when experienced through
the shiny lenses of modern society. It is only pure when raw, and in its raw
form, nature is often rough around the edges.
Seated on the ground
of Overton Park, experiencing a bit of raw nature, we began to discuss Thoreau.
Thoreau’s writings, largely focused on the triumph of nature over civilization,
take on new life when discussed outside. Thoreau was a challenge to read, with
a variety of tangents and ramblings interspersed. His insights on nature, however,
were very interesting. What I noted most was Thoreau’s attention to detail. He noticed
and described everything. This is evident in his lengthy discussion of a brawl between
two ants, creatures commonly associated with the microscopic. Reading Thoreau
encouraged me to notice the details in nature, rather than focus solely on the
big picture. This idea is especially applicable to one of my favorite
activities: hiking. So often on hikes, I focus my thoughts on the end goal.
While the views at the top are always spectacular and rewarding, the details of
the trail are just as important. Attention to said detail can assure one does
not miss some of the most interesting aspects of nature. I am challenging
myself to pay attention to both the details and the end on my next hiking excursion.
Thoreau’s writing offer
a variety of quotes on the value of nature. I have compiled a list of my
favorite Thoreau quotes as a conclusion to my post:
- “I took a walk
in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”
- “All good things
are wild and free”
- “I love Nature
partly because she is not man, but a retreat from him”
- “Man emulates
Earth, Earth emulates Heaven, Heaven emulates The Way, The Way emulates Nature.”
- “Blessed are
those who never read a newspaper, for they shall see Nature, and through her,
God”
- “We need the
tonic of wilderness. We can never have enough of nature”
- “Not until we
are lost do we begin to find ourselves”
