Essay on the environment
The environment is that which surrounds us.
It is on our skin, warm, cold, wet, dry, still, windy...
We touch it: smooth, rough, spiderwebs, sand, rock, our beloveds, horses, water, tools, trees and sticks ... we touch it all the days of our lives, from our mother's breast with tiny hands till soiled bed sheets with scrawny old backs...
It is in our ears: loud, soft, melodic, dissonant, a familiar voice, a strange cry, a dog, a bird, a drum, piano, leaf blower, saxophone, tractor ... It is in our nose, honeysuckle, dairy stinks, mountain snow, valley smog, the river, the freeway, coffee, bacon, ...
It is on our tongue, bitter, sweet, salty, sour ... It is all the waves and storms of human cultures, its cities and wilderness, which we pass through in our journeys, whether wandering, lost, or standing, found...
The environment is with us from our birth until our death, always changing, always here, surrounding us in a way no loss but life itself can take away.
The environment is not God but as the god might be, alive, immortal, but vulnerable to human error.
The environment surrounds us. We are it, eating; it is us, eating.
Yet, we create whole worlds of distance, rich in concepts, calculations and clowns, between us and our environment Nevertheless, great moments of harmony with our environment still exist for us to rediscover. No matter how angry, frightened, manic or depressed we become, the environment will continue to surround us all our lives, awaiting our attention. --blj