John Muir Day April 21, 2009
April 21, 2009
“…Some of the days I have spent alone in the depths of the wilderness have shown me that immortal life beyond the grave is not essential to perfect happiness…”
John Muir
Today is John Muir Day. John Muir Day is unlike most traditional holidays. It is a peaceful and simple day. John Muir Day has no set rules or traditions like Christmas or Thanksgiving. This day will cost you nothing if you choose to celebrate it by hiking.
I drove this morning to Brooker Creek Preserve to celebrate this day. Muir was a strong advocate for preservation and with out his vision and foresight there would probably be very few wild places left in America. I manage to hike nearly six miles amongst the pine barrens and occasionally a haunted cypress dome.
Today is a lesson in simplicity, a value most of us have long forgotten. Finding simplicity in today’s setting is increasingly harder. We live in a world of instant gratification, where bigger is better, our ties to the natural world are distant. In a world of genetically modified foods and virtual reality it is often hard to stay human. Our senses are often confused by the synthetic world. As I look around I see alot of people who are numb as a result of their senses being overstimulated. I often wonder why we are going in the direction we now find ourselves? Some say that progress brings convience, but I think this logic needs to be questioned. We are told that the economy must grow for us to be happy, yet the majority of people seem burnt out.
John Muir’s writings taught me long ago that life is worth living, in fact, it is quite an adventure if you seek the wilderness as your refuge from society’s ills. I have come to love nature’s simplicity. I have come to admire Muir for his ability to show others the the joy and simplicity that the natural world brings to those who seek it.
Happy John Muir Day
Thanks for the nice words. Waaay back when I doubt nature was poetic. Humans were simply part of nature. We probably acted more with instincts than logic. I think man has always wanted sense of community. I think by ‘nature’ we are social creatures, but solitude in nature is a refuge. I think cities when designed correctly give humans that sense of community they seek. Sadly I think that most cities do not consider community and as a result we are becoming hyper individualists. I think having cities is inevitable, but having wilderness is crucial. Wilderness has always played a significant role in society. We should use nature as a teacher more often.
What a wonderful post and so completely true. Growth is never necessarily progress, and how sad that society has primarily become an entity with ills that we need refuge from.
Just for thought–waaaay back when (before cities)do you think nature was poetic or scary and intimidating to humans to live in all of the time. Seems communities must have initially offered a refuge FROM certain aspects of nature? Hmm, didn’t pan out so well, though…
Suze