Connectedness & Ladybugs

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“We are obliged, therefore, to spread the news, painful and bitter though it may be for some to hear, that all living things on earth are kindred” – Edward Abbey


            This is my last blog post, and I wanted to use it to reflect on this quote and relate it to a recent encounter at TCU. The last group to present concluded with this quote, and hearing it once more was such a great reminder of the connectedness we find in nature, a connectedness that we are a part of. How differently everyone would treat the world if we all understood how deeply intertwined we all are, from the sky-high mountains to the trees I used to walk by everyday in the commons! We hold a place in the connection, and therefore we hold great responsibility.

            I have a new respect for the nature around me and its marvelous perseverance despite human’s failure in the connection. Nature against human nature. While I do believe Abbey has a relatively extreme view on protecting nature and how exactly we can appreciate the wilderness, I still think he makes many great points about how crucial it is we play our role in protecting it. He understands that wilderness is not a luxury but rather a necessity.

            Thinking about this quote as I walk around TCU’s campus has changed how I interact with the bits of wilderness around me. I was sitting in a study room recently, and when I opened my backpack, a ladybug flew out of it. In that moment, a friend said, “What if the ladybug never sees the outside again.” The innocent ladybug ended up on the third floor of a building in a room without windows, a place it was never meant to be. I did everything I could to get the ladybug down from the ceiling, but I was unsuccessful. It finally climbed its way away, and I never saw it again. The ladybug was unable to live its “natural life,” as T.H. White discusses.

            This class has taught me to be aware of the connections and to think about the ladybugs. I have a broadened perspective of nature itself, and I want to do my best in protecting it. Thank you for reading my journeys as I interact with the outdoors. I hope you have seen my growth and have been able to learn something too.

 

Thank you for the adventures,

 

Savanna Simmank

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