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| I am drawn to words and music, like a child to its mother. I find the two as inseperable as eyes are to sight. They support each other, compliment each other, inspire each other. But they are not an equal relationship for music is the stronger and guides the words as it pleases. Yes, there is strength in both. Strength to heal and restore, body and soul. They can penetrate your being more than any other physical thing. What is it that shapes your mind and ideas, but the books you read, the music you listen to, or the words you hear? It can clear the sky when you are filled with shadow and doubt. It can can show you the way when you are lost in emotion and turmoil. When you seem to be consumed with perpetual sorrow and when every choice you make is the wrong one and you have no more control over your life than tree has over the wind, when the rain of trouble beats you down and drowns you in its uncontainable torrents, look to the words of inspiration and the music of renewal and you will find your redeemer and friend. A loyal mentor that will not let you go. ever. -Joe Whitson | | |
| This is the final essay I wrote for my school. It encompasses my environmental views after a year a the zoo school and I thought it might be interesting, but don't feel obligated to read it. Environmental Ethic According to Webster’s Dictionary stewardship is “the individual’s responsibility to manage his life and property with proper regard to the rights of others” (1157). Our environment belongs to everyone; we all have the right to use and enjoy it within reason. One person or a one group of people do not and can not have the right to unalterably damage and mismanage the environment for their own personal gain. Environmental Stewardship is the idea that when one uses the earth, he must use with the rights of other people in mind. Will what you do encroach on the rights of someone else or their ability to survive in their environment? The idea of environmental stewardship is not a new one. Francis of Assisi was one of the earlier advocates of stewardship. He believed that God gave the earth to man, not to ravage, but to protect; the dominion mandate was not subordinating the earth, but placing it in the hands of man as a responsibility. The responsibility of caring for the earth is one that has been ignored and misconstrued for far too long. Throughout history people have been steadily using up the earth’s valuable resources with no regard to the inevitable consequences that will follow. With their limited knowledge of the earth, it is easy to understand how they could see the earth and oceans as infinite, inexhaustible commodities. But with today’s new environmental knowledge about the importance of ecosystems and the effects we can have on the earth it is time to take a step back and reconsider how we use the earth. Many people take the views of John Muir or David Brower of non-use, but it is obvious that we need the resources that the earth has to offer, especially in our society today. As discussed in Encounters with the Archdruid we need the minerals, the land, and the water. Unfortunately we have limited amounts of these resources and the earth will not be able to continue to provide for our growing population with out prodigious and irreparable damage to the environment and indirectly to the people relying on it. A good steward of the earth would not despoil it for the resources that improve his life. He must be careful to conserve what is there and wisely use it. In the words of Gifford Pinchot, “A nation whose natural resources are destroyed must inevitably pay the penalty of poverty, degradation, and decay” (Levy Hallowell 84). It is the people who suffer this failure and it is the people who must conserve the resources and protect for their life, their future, and the future generations. As much as we should conserve our resources for the future, there are the problems of today the must be considered. David Brower said that we must “drop our standard of living, so that people a thousand years from now can have any standard of living at all.” A good steward would be okay lowering or changing his way of life in order to conserve resource, but it is not his decision to lower the standard of living of other people who may depend of mining or lumber for their livelihood. We cannot sacrifice people now for the sake of the future and when dealing with environmental problems we should first consider what effect our decisions will have on people today and only then could we consider the future. Both must be taken into account before a choice can be made. Finally a good steward must take into account the other living things that also inhabit the earth apart from humans. Although necessary commodities of humans should not be sacrificed for the sake of other organisms, it is in our best interest to preserve a complete and healthy ecosystem. It is a delicate balance between the needs of humans of the welfare of animals. Each case must only be determined after careful thought about the effects it will have on one’s fellow man. If the welfare of another organism is not detrimental to the welfare of people, then a good steward should do everything he can to protect it from useless or foolish injury. “All creatures of our God and King” (Francis of Assisi) are important to the environment and are under the stewardship and responsibility of man. By adhering to the idea of environmental stewardship we can find a balance between the preservation of our wonderful earth and the necessary use of its resources for the benefit and wellbeing of people. We cannot abuse the earth, after all we are only stewards, it does not belong to us, but rather to the people we share it with, the future generations, and the creator. I'd Appreciate comments on what you think of it or whether you agree. Thanks -Joe Whitson | | |
| At the present moment it seems impossible to imagine sorrow. After just returning from a jaunt in the woods, I have once again fallen in love with nature. My original intention was to look for mushrooms, but the drought this year has not been good for the fungi and I found none. I instead did not scrutinize the ground, but admired the general splendour of the evening and the sunset. I especially marveled at the ferns that were sprouting up over the only moist part of the forest floor, far under the canopy of emerging greens. Even the moss covered rocks called up to me in joy at their existence. These things I can enjoy anywhere. In an urban park reserve as much as climbing up yosemite falls, in a fifth generation growth forest as much as the uncut wonders of the redwoods, in my own manicured front yard as much as in the praire preserves of the buffalo. Nature cannot be destroyed. I am sick of environmentalism. I want to just enjoy the world. And I am. -Joe | | |
| Once again I just feel like writing, but nothing in particular. I should be studying Aldo Loepold and his wildlife mangament and ecology strides, but I am putting it off to another day. I think I will watch a movie tonight and then I will get to bed late and and then get up at my traditional 5:30 am and go to school and hang out and play in dirt! I'm so excited to play in dirt tomorrow it is going to be really really ridiculously fun. We will dig up worms and sift through soil and get all gross and dirty and then go to all of are other classes smelling like pond scum and eroding plant matter. Can you even imagine a better day? No of course you can't because there is no better day and so there. The days are slowly warming, filling my soul with joy. My car is like a blazing inferno of heat and hellishness. I feel just like a cookie might when it is placed into a preheated oven with no vents. I go in light and fluffy, like dough (which is the best part of the cookie anyays) and has I enter the car I feel pleasantly warm after being in the brisk wind, but that feeling soon fades and I am miserable. I, like a cookie, don't sweat so I just harden and become crusty and unpleasent. I flatten out emotionally and if you touch me the wrong way I might just severely burn your finger. Then I come out and cool down. And everybody says I am better than ever (which is obviously untrue as a baked cookie is just never as good as its uncooked dough). But at least this way I won't give anyone salmonella. (I believe in organic eggs). Joe the Cookie | | |
| Sometimes I wish that there was a floating bed that followed me around where ever I went. That way, when I am tired or worn out, I can simply fall backard onto my own personal bed behind me. It may be inconvienient to have a bed follow me around ever where though, so it would be better to have a bed already where I want to be. So if I were to have just completed a strenuous hike and were sitting on top of a mountain and was still facing the long trek down, I would be comforted during my break on my bed that was waiting for me at the top. Naturally the bed would be for me alone and I would not share it with other people, not even if they were old and ready to collapse because if they can't handle the hike at their age and didn't arrange to have a bed waiting for them that sure isn't my problem. Well, maybe if I was feeling in a very generous mood I would, but it seems unlikely. I would also use this bed for school when I am board at class, because a bed would be much nicer than a hard desk or the floor during study hall. Also, my bed would only be there when I need it. It would not be at the bottom of the grand canyon when I want it at the top of the stairway of the empire state building. That way no one would corrupt it by using it for their own purposes like resting or using the sheets to bandage a bleeding wound. My floating bed would be amazing and everyone would want one, but of course they can't have one, because if everyone did, my space would be crowded and I would not like that at all. Besides I am probably the mopst special person in the world. I don't know. Probably. -Joe | | |
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