Journal 5

This week we read pieces from John Muir and Aldo Leopold. I admired Muir’s ability to describe nature in a way where readers could feel like they were immersed in the setting. I know how difficult it can be for me to put into words what I see, feel, hear, taste, and smell in nature—and Muir clearly has a gift of incorporating all of his senses into his writing. I loved the metaphors he used to describe the forest during a storm as a musical ensemble. His writing was filled with the usage of personification, similes, and metaphors, which is what made his nature writing relatable. I want to include pieces of his style into future journals I will write. Furthermore, I found his illustration of the wind to be insightful because when I think of nature I have never thought to include the omnipresence of the wind. Wind is apart of nature across the world unlike a lot of the flora and fauna we describe in particular places.

As someone who has grown up in a suburban city all of my life, it is hard to relate to Muir when he climbs a tree during a storm to observe nature. I admire his bravery and the way in which he seeks to observe nature in its more pure form. Destruction is natural and it was neat to hear his perspective on how destruction can be beautiful. On one hand, I know how much disaster storms can bring to humanity—people’s lives can be uprooted or even lost. On the other hand, Muir describes a scene where the noble woods appeared so “fresh, so joyous, so immortal” (258). When I hear this, I think of the lyric of a song that goes “in the eye of the storm, You remain in control”. Of course this storm can be interpreted literally or figuratively, but in the literal sense, I love how a storm’s destruction can bring about a sense of worship. Muir describes nature with language like blessing, glorious perfection, and harmony, which highlights the religious experience one can feel when they embark on a journey into nature. There is still beauty in the ruin and there is still sovereignty despite disaster.

Another topic I found interesting while sitting in class was the idea of our responsibility as humans to protect and preserve the land in which we inhabit. Muir goes as far as to say, “man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard” (331). I think this statement implies the symbiotic relationship we have with nature. I don’t believe in Mother Nature to the extent that the Lakota do because I believe humans are the only beings on earth that are made in Gods image—thus we are superior to trees, wildlife, etc. However, I do believe we are responsible to care for our environment. I am guilty of not doing this. I grew up in a family that did not recycle and never spoke about “being green” or anything environmentally related. Nebraska is not as eco friendly as other places like Washington, so I have only started to take steps to be a little more pro-active since entering college. I think an advantage of having a perspective more like the Lakota tribe is gaining an appreciation for the interconnectedness we have with nature. We depend on it and use it for resources. We find entertainment in it. And some of us use it as a sanctuary to connect to God.