Comments on: Enough Nature for Me

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:39:10 +0000

As your resident “religious” correspondent, let me add that I know many religious folks who I find not remotely spiritual, and spiritual folks not remotely religious. I’ve experienced the spiritual in prayer and meditation, but I’ve also experienced it standing on the South Rim of the Chisos at sunrise and holding my daughter’s on the observation deck of the World Trade Center as it swayed in the NYC breeze. For me, being spirtual is experiencing an awareness of AND connection to something more–more powerful, more indescribable, more exciting, more present, more permanent–than myself. Awareness without feeling the connection is merely awe.

By: Cindy A

Cindy A — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:27:25 +0000

I always thought spiritual meant religious but not a total nutcase about it. Like Deepak Choprah instead of Tammy Faye Baker.

By: Anne Gibert

Anne Gibert — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:41:00 +0000

I love cities — well, cities like New York and San Francisce and even Washington. But I feel sorry for most of the inhabitants of Los Angeles. And there are some others, some in Texas, I would not like to spend time in. I love dogs and the great outdoors. But I am with you entirely about being “spiritual”. I think people who are religious believe in some specific myth; one with a story line. Spiritual is religious without the story line, with a bit of minor superstition mixed in. I have a sister who manages to believe ALL the myths (even if they are logically incompatable) plus astrology, crystal healing, esp, ghosts, and some others I forget. Amazing.

By: Julie Brown Casey

Julie Brown Casey — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:00:33 +0000

Loved this! It made me miss taking sidewalk hikes through Chicago when we lived in Wrigleyville. I will say that civilization is great when people are civilized; and human nature is fun to watch when it’s music on a park bench and beautiful people in love. I guess you just have to take your urban nature hikes in the right neighborhood.

By: ruthpennebaker

ruthpennebaker — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:46:57 +0000

Julie — When it comes down to it, human nature intrigues me more than anything else in the natural or unnatural world. Cindy — Don’t forget the critical importance of indoor plumbing. Alexandra — Cape Cod is lovely, I agree. I think I’m just hopeless by your standards; or maybe it’s hard to think with the traffic roaring in the background.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:41:04 +0000

Ah, Ruth! You need to come to Outer Cape Cod! I used to consider myself a city girl. I lived most of my life right outside Paris, grew up in DC, and was born in Manhattan. We came here to home care my elderly parents. We planned to leave after they passed away. Well, it has been three years now. I still miss culture, but a quick excursion to Boston cures that fast. The air is clean. The ocean roars in the distance on stormy days. Most of the time, the sky is bright blue. I never tire of watching the sandpipers scurry across the beach. No cityscape can compare with the beauty of Cape Cod. You should check it out on your way back to Texas!

By: Cindy A

Cindy A — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:34:19 +0000

I’m with you, Ruth. Days in the woods are fine but at night I want to be in a nice comfy bed with the low hum of central air.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:35:25 +0000

I love it. I do admit to being a nature freak. Dirt was ground in me from day one, so I can’t help it. But people watching in Central Park is a great day of nature, too. Some of the wildest creatures in the world are human!