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| Krystal Wayne is a regular editorialist for the Grizzly Gazette. In this editorial, she argues that nature is unappreciated by society. |
Present day Transcendentalism
Krystal Wayne | 2/18/08 | Opinion
merican Transcendentalism is the religious belief that God can be most purely worshipped through the temple that he built for us: nature. Since the beginning of time nature has been the most genuine form of beauty, it has been the rawest extract of adventure, the purest, most gentle world for true, untainted love.
Regretfully, these days are coming to an end. It is either urbanization or materialistic values that are driving families and children away from the gift of nature. It is in silent contemplation, surrounded by trees, flowers, and glistening rivers, that I discovered many of the fundamental pillars of my character, not in a shopping mall purchasing the ‘in’ styles. My strong connection with nature continues, however, I can not vouch the same for my peers.
The subtle idea of Transcendentalism translates into the idea of spring break. For students, spring break involves traveling to some industrialized city where shopping is a must and partying is a given, or sitting alone browsing the internet in a slothful manner. All teenagers beg and plead for adventure, but they are naively overlooking the world’s greatest and most intriguing adventure. This is unavoidable, for most, because, on the surface it appears that nature has little to offer. Only, little do most know that exploring nature has many numerous beneficial effects.
The most common form of exploration is camping. Camping teaches campers life skills and survival tactics that can prove very beneficial. Regular campers are able too survive for a number of weeks, without assistance, because they have simple, tactical, survival training. This is the ability to live without electricity, fast food and Starbucks; this is a feat indeed. Another benefit of camping is that it revolves around relationships. This literally means that few go camping alone. Usually friends and family accompany each other when they camp. This is a simple and cost effective means of spending quality time together without the interference of televisions, traveling (one may travel to the camp site, or camping can occur in your own back yard) or shopping. I have never learned so much about my family, about myself, and about the fundamentals of the world, as I have when we go camping together.
Another glorious adventure would be hiking. Just like any other activity that involves nature, there is much to learn, and much to see. No material item or shopping spree could ever amount to a perfect sunset, or a blossomed tree swaying in the wind that you see while you are hiking; but this sight is something that too many people are deprived of. Just imagine the most beautiful and peaceful thing that is possibly imaginable and it still does not amount to the serenity and peacefulness of nature.
It is obvious that the absolute serenity of nature wears off onto its adventurers. The ample exercise and stillness of our natural environment creates a stillness of the mind and alleviates stress. This leads people to be much more easy-going and optimistic, another benefit of nature.
Such benefits are why I urge all to gallantly explore Earth’s greatest gift to her children. It is our home and home to all the little creatures the roam with, above and beneath us. So why travel tens or hundreds of miles to shop or visit a larger city when Porterville hides many tremendous adventures for us; you just have to look under the brush and between the trees to find them.
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