Watching Humans

Comparing our minor inconveniences to the suffering of imprisoned animals is not a sign that we are now finally understanding their plight, but rather a testament of how truly disconnected we are from their reality.  Even as social media blows up with posts proclaiming “Now we understand”, I’m actually witnessing people enjoying a liberation they didn’t even seek; with far more people outside engaged in physical activity than I can ever remember.  But even in the case of strictly enforced lockdowns in which people actually stay home, they are still in their homes, surrounded by their things, their comforts, their sources of entertainment, the same location that was already CHOSEN to spend the majority of free time.   But what we truly take for granted is something we rarely even consider. Quietly and perhaps subconsciously comforting us in the backs of our minds is the knowledge that we still have a choice.  Free will. We could disobey, whatever...

The questionable value in how modern humans have chosen to spend their existences is most notably represented by the daily commute to and from offices which equates to our waking hours spent sitting behind a wheel or behind a desk.  The ensuing divorce from nature cascades into a myriad of consequences for ourselves and all other earthlings.  Although this has always bothered me in recent years I've contemplated it from amongst the trees, listening to the distant but ever-present buzz of commuter traffic penetrating the natural spaces I seek peace in. What I didn't realize was that while I criticized the rat race I had been enjoying a benefit of that chosen lifestyle. You see, the tendency for humans to willfully imprison themselves, while a rather insane thing to do, simultaneously provided a buffer to all the wildlife attempting to carry out their daily activities free from our presence. In a politically correct sense I should be thankful that covid-19 has prompted...