Mother Nature and Respect

March 14, 2020 / doubledacres / 1 Comment

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” – Walden Henry David Thoreau

The definition of nature is the material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities. It is also defined as the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations. One could say that nature is everything.

There is a saying “Stop and smell the roses.” Relax and take time to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life. Stop stressing out, overthinking or complaining. My version is “Stop and drink of the beauty of nature.”

As spring draws near camping season comes into view. The weekend warriors who live in the cities and suburbs will begin their assault upon the campgrounds. They appear in the parks pulling their 30 foot campers loaded with all the amenities of home. I don’t think this is what Thoreau had in mind when he advocated that people leave their urban and industrialized areas to explore nature. He felt that “modern life” robbed people of their best selfs and that living in harmony with nature was essential. In today’s society the campgrounds are so overpopulated that they are nothing more than smaller communities of which they were trying to leave behind.

In Missouri the rivers and Ozark streams become heavily congested with weekend floaters occupying rafts, inner tubes, kayaks, and boats. Sadly the amount of litter left behind is mind boggling. Thoreau often wrote about the importance of preserving the wilderness and the importance of living in harmony with nature. His ideas are completely lost on the minds of the majority of weekend revelers. One can see the evidence if they float the rivers on Monday morning. Sandbars and gravel bars are littered with aluminum cans, trash, and an occasional tent. It doesn’t have to be this way. If you pack it in pack it out. It is that simple. My motto is is,”Leave it better than you found it.”

We as a whole need to learn to respect Mother Earth and what she has given us. Preserve the magnificent beauty of Mother Earth so that future generations can enjoy it. We don’t know what we have until it is gone.

“I love nature partly because she is not a man, but a retreat from him. None of his institutions control or pervade her. There a different kind of right prevails. In her midst I can be glad with an entire gladness. If this world were all man, I could not stretch myself, I should lose all hope. He is constraint, she is freedom to me. He makes me wish for another world. She makes me content with this.” – Henry David Thoreau’s Journal

Fate?

November 19, 2017November 19, 2017 / doubledacres / 2 Comments

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“Tis weak and vicious people who cast the blame on Fate. The right use of Fate is to bring up our conduct to the loftiness of nature.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fate: the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do: destiny (Merriam-Webster)

Life is what one makes it. Do I believe in fate? Good question. Personally I don’t believe fate exists to the extent of being the only determining factor of the outcome of ones life. OMG! That would mean that I am totally responsible for my life. That would be disastrous for a society that doesn’t seem to want to take responsibility for anything. Last I heard they were trying to get the word “responsibility” removed from the English language.

Then what is fate? Well, could it be limitations or situations in our life that we don’t understand but we have to call it something. I feel there are reasons that two peoples paths cross but I don’t necessarily think of it as fate.

“If we must accept fate we are not less compelled to affirm liberty, the significance of the individual, the grandeur of duty, the power of character.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If fate dictates what our life will be then why do we even try to better ourselves. Why do we dream? I mean if you believe fate/destiny are in control of your life, then your life has pretty much been mapped out. If you were destined to be poor then why try to be anything else? Not everyone can be poor or rich, unless you are a member of the United States congress. There you go in poor and come out rich.

“It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.” – Henry David Thoreau

I think of fate like sin. Christianity teaches that one must repent from sin to enter heaven. They also teach that God gave everyone “free will”. In other words it is up to the individual to decide where they want to spend eternity or if they want to play the hand that fate dealt them.

To defeat fate one must do it through power. Emerson wrote:

“He who sees through the design, presides over it, and must will which must be. We sit and rule, and, though we sleep, our dream will come to pass. Our thought, though it were only an hour old, affirms an oldest necessity, not to be separated from thought, and not to be separated from will. They must always have coexisted. It apprises us of its sovereignty and godhead, which refuse to be separated from it.”

Now I know there are those of you a lot smarter than this here old horseshoer and feel free to tell me if I am way off base. I think that Emerson is saying that to overcome fate, we need power, a combination of thought and will. I believe here “will” is truth and the desire to exist or overcome (fate) and when combined with thought one creates the power to write their own chapters in their life.

Through this opening is your Book of Life. Who is going to be the author? Fate or you?

I am sure there will be those who will not agree with my interpretation of fate so we will have to just agree to disagree. I like it when I can write something that is thought provoking. I think there is a majority of folks out there that need some stimulation of the thought process. I don’t mean it as an insult. Technology has pretty much created a life where folks don’t have to think as much anymore.

“I suppose that the great questions of “Fate, Freewill, Foreknowledge Absolute,” which used to be discussed at Concord, are still unsettled.” – Henry David Thoreau

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. Thank you for taking the time to do so. You are deeply appreciated. Remember to spread the love.

A Little Bit About Henry David Thoreau

November 18, 2017November 18, 2017 / doubledacres / 7 Comments

Monsanto Lake

“I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I think one reason that I find the work of Thoreau so magical is because of the many things I feel we have in common, I too love to be alone. Is it indicative of a selfish person? I would hope not. I personally don’t consider myself a selfish person. I would like to think of it as a trait of someone that is independent and a survivor. I am not what I would call a very materialistic person. I am just a simple man who isn’t fond of drama and keeps negativity at a great distance.

In 1845 Thoreau built a cabin upon the shores of Walden Pond, a lake in Concord Massachusetts. For the next two years, two months, and two days he would record his experiences as he learned to eliminate the material and spiritual details that trespass upon our happiness. I can’t help but think what conclusion he would have come to today in a world dependent on modern technology? Would he have been able to pull it off? Yes I think he could have.

Walden: Life In the Woods was published in 1854. It was a reflection upon the two years he spent living the simple life as a way of declaring self-reliance and independence. Some folks have even referred to it as a manual for self-reliance. During this time he wrote his first book, “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”.

Monsanto Lake

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.” Henry David Thoreau

I can’t emphasis enough, how envious of Thoreau I am. In a situation such as he created, I would think that one would learn to love themselves. I am a firm believer that if one wants to succeed in life they must learn to love themselves. I have spent two weeks by myself in the woods living the “simple life” and learned a lot about myself during that time. I can only imagine what one would learn in two years.

I suppose though that this “alone time” could be detrimental to some folks suffering from depression. It is hard for those folks to be alone and some definitely don’t need all that time to think. If those people could train themselves to live this time alone and at the same time deal with depression I think it would be very beneficial to them. Maybe, just maybe it would be a good avenue to use to defeat their demons and learn how to keep them away.

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you enjoyed it and the pics I shot. The pictures are of Monsanto Lake located in the St. Joe Park located in St. Francois county near Park Hills, MO. I could just see myself living in a cabin on the shores of the lake for two years. Don’t forget to spread the love.

Monsanto Lake

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Life in the Woods