Nature Connection: Living Gently With The Earth

Everywhere I turn in the human world these days, I see or hear threats of violence. No one is safe, no one is immune. We are all at risk. Things we thought were a given, such as freedom to be who we are, are being taken from us daily. Our hearts and minds, and yes, our souls, are under attack, and our nervous systems are in nearly constant states of fight or flight.

This isn’t good for anyone. Stress levels are high everywhere and ordinarily patient people are screaming at service people, making rude hand gestures at other drivers, and making a general nuisance of themselves.

It’s not just us under attack. Trees, birds and animals of every description are also affected. Regulations that helped save us from rampant pollution and poisons in our air, earth and water are once again stripped, and instead of pursuing energy sources that don’t add to the poisons, our government is ending all research and canceling programs already in progress in favor of more coal mining and oil and gas drilling. If I was an alien just landing here, I’d leave. I’d think this world was an insane asylum and I’d fly away.

Unfortunately, I do not have the means to fly away. This means I must decide how to approach this crazy world, and instead of fighting I’ve decided to opt for a gentler response. I get outside and listen to what the birds and bees and squirrels have to say.

Living gently on the Earth would mean living more simply. Here in America our homes are filled with stuff. Some of it makes our lives easier, such as beds, chairs and tables. Many appliances help with daily chores. My grandmother had to wash and wring out her clothes in a big tub in her kitchen. She then hung them on a line to dry. Once they were dry, she had to iron them, first dampening them since steam irons were not a thing. This was a job that took up a lot of time but also a lot of physical strength. 

These days we don’t have to do any of those things. We have machines that do them all. We have cars, dishwashers, computers and so many small appliances I can’t list them all here. Everything we use or buy uses up resources of one kind or another. When we turn on the coffeemaker we use electricity. When we search on our computers or phones we use electricity. Our cars and trucks use a staggering number of resources in their manufacturing and maintenance as well as getting us where we want to go and back again.

And back to stuff: we all have a lot of it. As someone who is constantly in a state of decluttering these days, I am well aware of how much stuff we really don’t need.

What would living gently on the Earth look like to you? Would you change the way you do things? Would you rake instead of using a leaf blower? Would you open the windows instead of turning on an air conditioner at the first sign of heat? Would you look for food farmed in a sustainable way and perhaps change how often you eat meat and ultra-processed food? Would you consider where your clothing comes from and who made it? Would you learn about wind and solar power and how our wastewater systems work or don’t work? Would you stop buying stuff on Amazon when you are bored?

It's a lot to think about and easier to turn on a Red Sox or Patriots game and complain about them or cheer them on. Social media is so full of divisive and hysterical rhetoric these days that it isn’t exactly relaxing to turn to that these days, so maybe turn it off for most of the day.

The simple act of getting outside can help settle our minds. Taking a long walk in nature can calm our hearts and fill us with hope, even if only for a few moments.

Nature has plenty of stressors as well, but they are natural. There is weather and predation and loss of habitat and disease. Prey animals, such as deer and rabbits or menhaden, are always on alert. The former two have ears that work like radar, turning constantly to pick up any sound that could mean danger. Menhaden, those small bait fish that are the favorite food of striped bass, travel in schools, hoping the crowd will fool the bass into thinking they are one big fish instead of hundreds of tiny ones just the right size for gulping. These days I feel like a prey animal myself, constantly on alert for more bad news everywhere I turn.

For me, living gently on the Earth means using as few natural resources as we can. Being mindful of how much water, electricity, heat or cooling and food we need is a good place to start. Make note of how much food you end up tossing out because you didn’t use it and adjust your shopping lists. Mend and darn your clothes, use a water filter instead of bottled water, stop using those coffee makers that use little plastic cups, don’t buy pesticides and herbicides and embrace an old-fashioned Cape Cod lawn. Plant native bushes and trees instead of exotic and invasive ornamentals. Grow some herbs or food in pots if you don’t have room for a big garden.

Living gently means living with kindness. The world may be in turmoil right now, but we can find reprieve outdoors. Walk, run, kayak, sit and read a book or meditate, do yoga, chat with a friend, draw or paint, dance a little, sing out loud, watch a bird or a bug. Put away the darn phone for a day and take a deep breath.