We search for freedom, serenity and solace in nature. We trust it as a force larger and wiser than ourselves. It’s logic is righter than anything we could conceive, its forms, better than anything we could create on our own. It is rejuvenating and we want to lose ourselves in it. It is primeval and we want to escape into it. We go there to heal.
I get all that.
But the truth is, we spend most of our time in urban areas. What do we do with ourselves then? Suspended animation? Do we drag our knuckles on the ground and keep our heads down? Maybe we just take it out on the people around us. Or do we all go live in the woods and muck-up that environment as well? In any event, we can’t just live for vacations.
Perhaps, we can aim to design our cities so we can still be alive while in them. As with nature, we want something we can engage with. We should emulate nature - in the city. We should be learning from nature. It has a lot to teach us, about balance, sustainability and rejuvenation, of how we reap what we sow, that if we treat it well, it will treat us well.
Wouldn't it be great if every place we went, nature or city, we found equal solace? It’s a lot to ask for, but we can get there step-by-step if we know what we're looking for.