Living in tune with nature

The past two days I had to use my car for errands. I'll admit, I love biking but I also love my car. I own a subura legacy with a hatchback. It's great for moving stuff - I've moved small couches, dressers, desks, even hauled compost from the Town of Milton in it (plastic tarp down of course.) But the past two days when I've gotten in my car, it's felt too big and wasteful, and well, unnatural. And I miss it when I'm not on my bike, out in the open air, relying on my own energy and force to get me around. As I read and think about the Gulf Oil spill, and the devastation of that coastal ecosystem, I can only think how much we are the cause for that destruction, due to our endless need for oil. And, how out of balance we've become with nature.

For two weeks I've been diligently working on my garden. I put in two new garden beds, which involved a lot of moving of compost. Finally last night I finished what I call "phase one" of my planting. What a feeling of deep satisfaction. I realized too, for me, as I know is true for many others, gardening is extremely therapeutic. When I'm having a tough day, if I go spend even half an hour in my garden weeding or moving dirt or raking, any worries will wash away. For me, connecting back with the earth, planting, getting my hands in the dirt, centers and grounds me, and reminds me of what is important. There's something so natural and harmonious about working with the earth to grow food.

Last night, I remembered how much growing a garden is an essential part of who I am. One summer during graduate school, I spent the summer doing stream surveys for freshwater mussels. I worked alone much of that time. Each day I'd get up, check in with the biologist (I was living/working out of the Wenatchee National Forest in Eastern Washington State), then head out to the creek. Where I lived was fairly remote. So, in my free time I hiked, put in a compost, and a small garden. Talk about rocky sandy soils. But, for me it was just what I needed to do. Last night reminded me how essential gardening is for my being, and how much I had been missing when I wasn't able to garden.

I really believe half of our socieatal problems are due to our disconnect from nature. We get in our cars without thinking about the costs to our environment, and the health and culture of those communities whose livelihoods are directly linked to or impacted by oil extraction. We buy food, turn on the tap for water, flush the toilet, all without thinking where it's coming from or going to, and the resources of energy and people required to keep these systems going. I think that's in part why growing my own food is so satisfying. Of course, my life is still tied to oil as is many others. But the more and more we think about conserving the resources we do have, the more healthy and better off our lives will be.

In that regard, there are lots of positive opportunities to make this shift. So, get involved and let's work together to make positive change. See my next post for some more great events on the topic of sustainability happening here in Saratoga and beyond.