Hey, Shh. Oh, look at that. On your right! He’s sleeping. An ancient titan slumbering on the earth. What should we name him? Sigiriya? That’s good. What do you think he’s dreaming about? Once I dreamed of being a rock. And I didn’t have to worry about anything. No worries. No stress. Just a rock. I wonder what the rock is dreaming about? What if it’s about us and all the things that we get to do? Like running barefoot on cold grass, walking around in mud, getting dirty and eating fresh fruits straight from trees, and having friends. It’s probably dreaming about how nice it is to be a person.
There are patterns everywhere, and weird ones too. Like the branched patterns on much smaller leaves that are on the branches of much bigger trees. Rivers splitting like the veins branching through my body, which also have little branches. When you pay attention to it, you will see it. There are perfect patterns and colors all around us, all the time. As the sun rises, it bathes the trees in golden light, casting a warm glow on the towering trees that is reflected in the river waters. From the tiny flower petals to the big galaxies, it makes sense. But that doesn’t make it any less amazing. For instance, it’s so nice to look at them, really nice. It makes me want to do nothing. I know we’re doing nothing, but it feels really important.
When the world ends, I will come to a place like this. You know, when it all hits the breaking point. Once the blue skies get darker, cascades just disappear into thin air, where trees struggle to find sunlight. I’m gonna come out here to start again, or should I just soak in all the beauty of the world while I can? It just seems like that’s the way things are going. The world doesn’t have to end! But there’s so much wrong with the world anyway. Pollution, toxic chemicals, living dead, lifeless beings; All I can do is look out for myself. But what if everyone in the world thinks that way? There will be no one trying to save it. But what am I supposed to do? I don’t know exactly. When things are wrong, should we just give up?
There are patterns everywhere, and weird ones too. Remember how cool the future was supposed to be. Peaceful, relaxed, clean. Now it’s the future, and it doesn’t feel very cool. What happened to nature and humanity? Instead of a happy and healthy life, we got only weird new diseases and a much polluted environment that makes everybody sadder and angrier than ever. It’s almost like, under our current system, the humans will prioritize short-term profit and comfort over the long-term well-being of humanity in the natural world. But back in school, they made it seem like the future was going to be so bright. Or maybe they were hoping we’d be the ones to figure it out. It doesn’t mean it just won’t get better? It means things don’t get better unless we make them better.
What’s the point if it’s too late? At a certain point, hope just hurts. But the fact that you’re hurting means you still care. It means you’re human. YOU ARE A PART OF NATURE. And that’s a good thing. As long as there are people out there who care, it isn’t too late. And we’re not alone.
We’ve all, at some point, experienced the feeling of being fully mesmerized by the beauty of nature. We are marveled and uplifted, pulled out of our small, ordinary lives. Yet trying to explain it or make sense of what it feels like to witness something beautiful as such is quite tricky. Imagine one day your grandchildren ask,” Aththamma, seeya what it’s like to feel grass? what is like to dance in rain? What’s it like to hike through mountain ranges?”, which they might never be fortunate to experience in the future. How would you describe it?
You know that beauty, whether in the form of a picture, a pattern, a melody that rhymes with your heartbeat, or something completely unimaginable, it awakens an emotional response in us. A broad range of emotions. Admiration, freedom, relaxed, hope, empathy, or maybe lively. For example, take rain. The way that it falls from the sky, nourishing nature, making the green greener, and sometimes, dirty cities get cleaner. The soothing hum as the raindrops hit the window while you’re inside your home or in your car. The earthy scent spreads through the air as the rain hits the ground. Then the taste, the taste of water. Not the filtered chlorine ones, the real deal. H2O! The relief comes as the rain interrupts a hot summer day, leaving the air feeling slightly damp against our skin. Did you know that just seeing photos of a beautiful landscape can release feel-good hormones in your brain?
Aesthetically pleasing environments can improve our well-being. Life is never dull or dark. You’re just used to it.
As we stand in the presence of these beauties, let’s remember that they deserve our respect and care. The world can be a better place if we all contribute our part. Let’s dream together, and more importantly, let’s act together. As long as we have people who care, it isn’t too late to ensure that your future kid and their kids and their kids and, the list goes on, understand the beauty of nature and experience the joy it brings to life. This Mother Nature makes us feel so small, maybe we should just let it be as it is. It feels much safer, not overpowering.
JUST SHARING WITH CARING!!!
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Written by : J.M. Dinaya R. Jayasekara