I heart endless sprawling fields

Ahhhhhh~

When I sat on the over-ground train service heading to Bicester Village for some shopping (outlet shopping yeah!), I finally caught sight of the sprawling fields that European countries are famed for. It took my breath away. I fell silent, looking out at the rolling fields and vast open skies, intently etching them into my memory.

I love it, these wide endless expanses of greenery (note the word “greenery”; I doubt I would feel as ecstatic seeing a desert although it is natural). I love seeing the fields roll into the faraway dusk (or dawn); at which at some point they will meet with the organic silhouettes of hills and mountains.

I love seeing the sky above these fields, so blue, so vast, adorned with fluffy wisps of white that roll and unroll, furl and unfurl. The captivating combination of sky and field, the multitudes of blues, greens and white soothed and filled me with a sense of pleasurable calmness.

THE FREEDOM

Personally, I treat the occasion of being near or in nature as a respite from the constant hubbubs of daily life. A retreat from logical rational outward thinking to uninhibited introspection coupled with non-judgmental daydreaming. I am sure many would feel the same pleasurable sensations and appreciate nature as such.

However, I admit that my love for nature has its limits. As much as I like greenery, flowers, trees, plants, and nature in general, I very much doubt that I will enjoy being in a jungle or forest. There is a difference between appreciating nature and being overwhelmed by it. Nature is incredibly complex and I would never claim to fully understand it. I am also unable to say that I fully embrace it. Nature is as deadly as it is magnificent.

But I digress.

I supposed that the pleasure derived from being in nature comes from the sense of unbridled freedom afforded by nature. There is the perception of limitless possibilities offered by the open sky and wide expansive land. You feel accepted for nature does not judge. It treats everyone equally. It does not pick its victims or its friends. It is neutral, which I suppose, is the best characteristic nature has. You feel unshackled by the rules of society; you are un-cuffed from the bonds of guilt and embarrassment. You roll around in the grass, you cloud watch on your back, and you laugh and cry and sing. You are yourself. In some ways, you return to child-like innocence, the pre-adulthood, to a time when money and responsibilities are but words you know but cannot fully grasp the meaning and impact of.

THE DILEMMA

I see the contradiction in what I am saying. While I claim to appreciate nature and all its beauty, I am also letting nature down. We all are.

Think about the eco/green movements or words like: horticulture, permaculture, organic farming, genetically modified food, forest fires, unlicensed fishing, global warming, etc. We were, at times, unappreciative of nature. We destroy the very world we claim to love. Technological advancement (once a triumph for humankind) is killing the earth. The need to balance our dependency on technology with our love for nature is a real and ever-present struggle. This is the age of the “anthropocene” – a chronological term that describes the period when human activities had a significant impact on the earth and its ecosystems. 

I am impacting the environment. How? Well, through my love for electronic gadgets. I want (can I be more dramatic and say need?) my gadgets. I have a semi-nerdy love for gadgets. I like exploring technological advancement with regards to personal gadgets, personal computing and software/apps. In fact, I have more gadgets than necessary and not enough time to spend on each and every one of them. While this fascination with gadgets and all things digital is not a bad thing per se, it causes me to spend more money than I should and it contributes to electronic waste. I feel guilty. Quite a few of my gadgets, 3 to 4 years old are left untouched in my drawers, collecting dust and wasting away. I refuse to throw them away, because sentimentality (all those hours spent playing Hot Shot Golf and DJ Max on my PlayStation Portable), but I really have no use for them now. Also, I have no idea how to ‘throw’ them away. I don’t want to simply trash them, it feels irresponsible. There has got to be a way to dispose of them properly. Anyone knows how to do that in Singapore?  

So after all that (probably useless) drivel, my point is, this is the age of the anthropocene whether you like it or not. Whatever our actions are, we are affecting the earth. However, I believe, with a little effort from everyone, we can help the earth (not very grandiose-sounding I hope). I, for one, pledge not to spend unnecessarily on material goods and to make my possessions last as long as they can. That has two advantages: (1) I save money and (2) there are no unnecessary wastes.

I can only hope that I will stick with my pledge.

On a side note:

For some reason, probably the folksy indie sounding tune, I thought this song by The Paper Kites very evocative of the fairy tale forest imagery. Ah sprawling fields and open skies  <3

The Paper Kites - Bloom