The Wild Human

    Nature to us often appears a mere escape from life. So does family. And religion. It's almost as though the occupation with anything that doesn't make money or result in immediate reward is unnecessary for a prosperous and happy life. However, when we finally make that time to embrace the essence of true life and meaning, we do it on our terms. All that is not a priority for material success is a nuisance and the indulgence in its entirety is an expression of poor time management and is not to mention, an uncivilized lifestyle for the fast paced society in which we live in. Yet, we find our bodies and our most instinctual nature calling out to us for something other than work and that green paper we live to earn. Our bodies ache from the sedentary lifestyle we've occupied ourselves with. Our levels of stress skyrocket under pressure and insomnia reminds us of our mortality. We've shape-shifted the fruit of the earth into short term reward packages that have left us crashing in exhaustion. We wonder of the phenomenon of obesity, cancer and depression. Lest we forget that the paper tiger we are facing with our health is nothing but a mere representation of Mother Nature’s way of letting us know she mustn't be ignored or conceptualized down to merely symbols for vocational use. Mother Nature is the essence of our every being and she will not be compartmentalized. Man is a wild one; trying his hardest to maintain that ridiculous illusion of control. He doesn't know what he's resisting. It's almost insane.

     My own realization of our relationship to nature required a simple encounter. Short yet dramatic and memorable. One of these days I set time for family, that other neglected and for granted tree, on my way minding my own business and taking my younger siblings to spend more green on meaningless material, we encountered a flock of geese. I have become accustomed to believing this earth was our own material to mould. I mean how could it not be? We uproot trees from the untouched ground it sits in for generations at a mere shot at reorienting its environment according to what we prefer. Then we have the decency and find it perfectly acceptable to replant it where we see fit. But I was feeling pretty confident in my superiority and power as a human that I chose to cross an unusual path. Safety was everywhere according to my view. And humans were exempt from the dangers of the environment that should know better and get out of our way. The reality of my being was on the verge of exposure. My ego was blown.

     A flock of geese I see ahead of me. How cute. Harmless animals grazing on grass causing no disruptions to our ways, I thought; although their droppings were getting more difficult to tolerate and avoid. That's disgusting, I thought, at least we've evolutionized to be smarter than to defecate wherever we wish. However, our obvious toxic waste and dumping into the lakes and rivers was not a fact I was able to recall in my moment of patriarchy. I saw this moment as one where I could exhibit my power that comes with my manhood on the world around me. Figured it would also be a great modelling lesson for my siblings. So I approached the goose, stomping with one foot forward, and making the most foolish growl in attempt to move it out of our way, waiting anxiously for the moment when they flew and I had a good laugh.

     But that didn't happen.

     Instead, it stood facing me with the utmost certainty in its legitimate presence. And with those wings pointed to the sky appearing to call for help from a force I could not access, it hissed loudly and locked eyes with mine. Suddenly the adrenaline rush of excitement became fear. That was not a cute goose anymore. It wasn't small and helpless. It was now an equal.

   Quickly, I begun to realize I wasn't ready to face this danger, so I began walking. The goose did not take satisfaction from my leave. After all, I offended and questioned its existence. It wasn't about to leave me without a beg for mercy. I heard wings flapping and looked behind to see that it was flying dangerously close to my back. I ducked. And suddenly I was in the middle of the paved human road – familiar territory comes with security I presumed. Cars began approaching us. Honking in what appears to be an act of solidarity until the scared goose flew back to its original placement. You would think the goose won this one. But it didn't. Because the civilization and industry that keeps the status quo kept it from taking its rightful revenge. Whatever freedom we gave it could be quickly taken away, and it chose to abide by our ways.

 

    The earth in which we live in is an ecosystem. And we are somewhere in that circle of life. We take from Mother Earth and give nothing in return – expecting that our mere presence on her lands is a great favour we’ve done to her soil. Yet we forget that she is an instrument of God – the powerful omniscient being who sees the wrong doings and short-sightedness brought up by our ego. To fight Mother Nature and to seek that she hands up all her resources is ultimately the hunt of ourselves. We challenge Mother Nature and she calls God to put us in our place.