Trying to Re-sync with the Nature Around Us
As the wind was whipping up around me last Friday, I used the time to mull over in my mind my relationship to the environment. Being in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo we sometimes forget that there is a rhythm to life that is not set by the subway timetables.
There are seasons to be observed. The Japanese were very in tune with nature, and their attention to the arts reflect this connection; however, the connections between man and nature are being severed. For example, I heard from a friend a few weeks ago that some residents across the river from me were in a complete panic when they found yellow powder in the streets and on the buildings. They immediately jumped to the conclusion the radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant’s radiation has reached their homes. Even though, radiation, is odorless, colorless and tasteless. The officials checked the suspicious yellow powder, which turned out to be just plain old pollen.
Have we so lost touch with nature that we have forgotten that at certain times of the year pollen dusts our neighborhoods? I try to live my live with a balance between the urban and the natural. It isn’t always easy, because of the way we isolate ourselves from nature.
Take the time to notice the seasons. Take the time to notice how the plants have grown, shed, or changed since the day before. Take notice of these things as they meld and mix with the concrete and steel around us.
