Thank you for this essay. I'm a new writer on Substack and am inspired to find a community around the things I care most about, that is, restoring habitat in a small part of midcoast Maine and making art that reflects the abundance of the living earth. I believe each of us can effect change, and one of the ways I hope to do that here is by sharing and cross-posting information.
Another amazing essay, thank you. Particularly loved this line about the landscape of fear: It’s fear moving in both directions, as we grow less familiar or comfortable with the natural world, and they with us.
Another brilliant essay. I am happy to hear Sam's name come up. Your two newsletters are like twin bright suns spiralling around each other in a double helix while moving forward through the dark time of the Anthropocene casting light for us readers.
Think globally act locally. At my little place we feed all the life in our yard a small rewilded part of my city. The birds, from crows to hummimgbirds come flying in when they see my white head. No more fear. It's good not to feel being a pariah.
We humans are such a paradox of cruelty and compassion. I used to hunt and yes, kill. My best friend and I would go out with our guns into the countryside saying boastfully we were going "to kill every living thing." But that was almost a half century ago and I learned compassion finally. I walked up to that last animal I had shot lying on its side; looking down seeing its chest
cease movement. With its last breath, the will to take life left me forever and I get tears remembering it even now. I hope we humans learn the same lesson, that it is extremely easy to take a life; there is no grace or good in it. It is fell; disgraceful. The same applies to destroying an ecosystem to put yet another subdivision or factory. These must become repugnant to us.
We must individually learn and it starts with our children. "Teach your children well.." as the song goes.
We can start by rewinding our imagination and your writing reflects this.
Thank you for this essay. I'm a new writer on Substack and am inspired to find a community around the things I care most about, that is, restoring habitat in a small part of midcoast Maine and making art that reflects the abundance of the living earth. I believe each of us can effect change, and one of the ways I hope to do that here is by sharing and cross-posting information.
Another amazing essay, thank you. Particularly loved this line about the landscape of fear: It’s fear moving in both directions, as we grow less familiar or comfortable with the natural world, and they with us.
Another brilliant essay. I am happy to hear Sam's name come up. Your two newsletters are like twin bright suns spiralling around each other in a double helix while moving forward through the dark time of the Anthropocene casting light for us readers.
Think globally act locally. At my little place we feed all the life in our yard a small rewilded part of my city. The birds, from crows to hummimgbirds come flying in when they see my white head. No more fear. It's good not to feel being a pariah.
We humans are such a paradox of cruelty and compassion. I used to hunt and yes, kill. My best friend and I would go out with our guns into the countryside saying boastfully we were going "to kill every living thing." But that was almost a half century ago and I learned compassion finally. I walked up to that last animal I had shot lying on its side; looking down seeing its chest
cease movement. With its last breath, the will to take life left me forever and I get tears remembering it even now. I hope we humans learn the same lesson, that it is extremely easy to take a life; there is no grace or good in it. It is fell; disgraceful. The same applies to destroying an ecosystem to put yet another subdivision or factory. These must become repugnant to us.
We must individually learn and it starts with our children. "Teach your children well.." as the song goes.