Dear all, like many of us, I am still trying to make sense of the horror of what happened on Friday in Newtown, Ct. Although I feel a certain despair that our society has now reached a point of no return, I have to believe strongly in one thing. Children deserve to live in safety in a nurturing environment that cares for their future. How can we get back to that place?
I have to believe it starts in our own backyards…
and our communities…
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Photo © Kent McFarland, VT Center for Ecostudies
© 2012, Ellen Sousa. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Ellen Sousa
I’m currently shooting a film for a charity film challenge. The idea behind me film is that we have lost touch with nature and in the process we’ve lost touch with each other.
We subconsciously try to remain connected by giving our streets names like Oak and Elm or our housing developments like Timber Ridge yet, we isolate ourselves and I think we forget what it’s like to be human.
I think kids today need to put down their Xbox controllers and get out and see what the world is all about. They need to set down their phones and instead of texting, meet their friends face to face.
Technology is great but it also has the ability to isolate us more than it cam bring us together sometimes.
I feel more human when I’m out in nature and realize that I’m a pert of something larger not a world unto myself.
Kevin J Railsback recently posted..Why You Should Always Set Your White Balance Manually
Kevin, thanks for sharing, your film sounds very timely. I totally agree that disconnect (from nature, from each other, from a sense of community) are all part of the problem. Good luck with your venture…
Ellen Sousa recently posted..Use Your Weeds! Violets as Groundcover
Thank you Ellen…it is so true and also what Kevin mentioned in his comment…as an educator I am broken right now and the grief is so steep it is hard to move…my hope is that we can begin to make changes that are needed in many aspects of our society in the US.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Wildflower Folklore
Ellen,
Those are good thoughts, and beautiful photos as well. As you and Kevin point out, “nature deficit disorder” isn’t just physically unhealthy, but affects each person’s emotional and spiritual life, and entire communities. I remember my most contented times as a child were playing outside under my favorite tree, or watching insects fly around the meadow by our house. Once I climbed a tree higher than a three story building! I don’t think many kids climb trees any more. . .
Ruth….thank you for your thoughts..those of us who were lucky enough to have outdoor places to play and unwind as children understand how important they are as an outlet…
Ellen Sousa recently posted..Use Your Weeds! Violets as Groundcover
…and from what I’ve heard, the young man who did this was alienated and detached from everyone around him. Mental problems from physical defects? Years of doing nothing but playing violent video games? Total lack of connection to the reality of the world (basically…nature)? One wonders; most of us would throw ourselves in front of a truck to save a child… why did he want SO much to spread his pain to all by hurting children?
Bob, I don’t understand it either…we all knew kids who were alienated and detached but violence like this would have been unthinkable…
Ellen Sousa recently posted..Use Your Weeds! Violets as Groundcover
Beautifully written Ellen….the photos touched my heart <3
You’re so right, Ellen, it is up to each of us to work toward the change we need. Teaching children about the wildlife in our gardens helps them feel part of something much larger than themselves. It is part of my life’s mission to reach out to the kids in my neighborhood to help reconnect them to nature and the other beings with which we share this planet. This tragedy is so unfathomable that I can’t seem to make sense of it or recover from the grief at the loss of these young lives. The one thing I know I can do is to provide a safe place for the children in my life to explore and learn about the critters who live there. Thank you for this beautiful post
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..The 5 Pillars of Ecosystem Gardening
Poignant Ellen, thanks for this!
Loret T. Setters recently posted..It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year