Learning to walk on public land

 Perhaps yesterday’s account of the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge sounded terrifying — at least uncomfortable. So a second thought:

Do you remember how scary it was going to school on the first day? Aren’t you glad that you didn’t let the fear stop you?

Almost all the things I’ve done that ended up being important — stepping foot on a college campus, starting my first job, asking a pretty girl for a date — were terrifying or at least uncomfortable.

I think learning to walk on public land is important. Learning to do that is part of being as citizen, like going to school.

We humans are destroying the natural world and will continue to do so if we don’t learn to get out in it, try to understand it, at least learn to respect and appreciate it. I think we’re destroying the natural world because most of us can look at it and see nothing. The land means nothing to us, and that lack of meaning is far more destructive than pesticides and bulldozers.

The best antidote is for each of us to find some public land and learn to walk on it until we get to know it, to see the plants and animals that live there, to see the connections among them.

We all have our limitations as observers, and some of us will get more out of walking on public land than others. (I’m among the poor students. This online collection of notes if filled with laments about my  shortcomings.)

Some of us get more out of a public education than others, but all of us ought to try.

I started school before the legislature decided to pay for kindergarten in Texas. As I considered first grade, I told my mother that I’d thought it over and didn’t think it was a good idea. She told me it would be worth it.

If you are worried about ticks, chiggers, snakes and mosquitos and are confident that you’d be more comfortable in the recliner, forget about being comfortable. Get outdoors. This is worth it.