Stephen M. Hannemann

Morning Walks

Author: Stephen

On one of my morning walks a while back, I remembered marveling at God’s creation. I see Him in creation everywhere, from the earth that nourishes the grasses, flowering shrubs and trees, to His breath of life in every living creature. Walking down our country road I am warily watched by birds, rabbits, coyotes, and deer as I take them in along the way. To see the waters of Puget Sound and witness the glory of a sunrise over the North Cascades is truly breathtaking and I feel privileged to walk in the midst of it all. Of course, it’s spring again and the fragrances and colors always put me on sensory overload.

Every morning I walk past a farmer’s field and this year I had the good fortune to witness two of five calves birthed. What a gift – to observe life emerging. The field and cattle brought a fleeting memory of the dairy field behind the property where I grew up in Portland, Oregon. Actually we moved well outside of Portland on a rural road when I was two years old. By the time I left home to marry and start a family, our home was well inside the city limits. The farm, dairy, and nursery land had been swallowed by tract homes.

A bit farther along in my morning walk, along a side hill plateau, then down a shady country lane, I came upon a scattering of alder cones in the road. I bent down to collect one and found myself catapulted back in time. Back where the rear boundary of our property joined our neighbor’s dairy field. Alder, maple, scrub hazelnuts and other brush grew along the border, the location of my secret fort. I held the small object in my hand, once again a six year old. I examined the intricate structure of nature and remembered my days filled with awe at the discovery of new bits of nature.

After recovering from my reverie, I began to wonder if technology and urban sprawl have done away with a part of life that we and future generations will never retrieve. I can’t help but feel sad that our youth have, in a sense, become desensitized to the marvels of creation. Plastic toys, video games, cartoons of Transformers and metallic super heroes are some of the first things to which our children are exposed. Don’t misunderstand, I am not against progress, but I think our offspring may be losing the appreciation of substance. I believe the parents and educators of today are faced with the challenge of how to bring our young people into contact with the wonder, awe, and appreciation of nature and creation.

In our fast paced, mechanized and electronic world it becomes increasingly difficult to challenge and stimulate our youths’ imaginations. I don’t claim to have the answers. I am barely smart enough to ask the questions. For myself, I do realize that the memories I experienced that long ago morning, although wonderful, are difficult to insert into the hyperactive minds of today. It is not possible to turn back the clock on our youth. But I do believe we must be wise stewards in how we get ahead of the progress curve in relation to rearing our young. At first blush, it seems incongruous to try and see a relationship between our technology and nature and creation. But it’s not. I think, more than ever, relationship must be a bigger part of daily life. Nurturing, mentoring, influencing by example – one on one – are ways to inspire the minds of our young people. Slowing a bit – setting an example of reverence for the beauty of nature and all creation would be a start. That’s easy for me to say as I look out of my office window and see a green forest. Or view Possession Sound with the backdrop of the North Cascades from my morning prayer nook. However, the attitude of reverence for nature and creation can be fostered in any environment, urban or rural. Every city has its parks, sidewalk plantings and garden shops. An excursion to the closest zoo can be an exciting experience for children or people of all ages. I consider myself in the first category.

A friend and long time educator shared a comment that rang true as we discussed this challenge. He said, “We have had a fundamental shift in our culture and it is what it is.” That statement enlightened me. We will continue to progress and that is good for all of us. The key is not to get so wrapped up in the technology and so fast-paced in our jobs that we lose sight of our home planet and the marvels of nature and creation. In the midst of all the turmoil and crises in our country and the world, there is still time for reflection on the earth upon which we walk and the marvels of what it produces. It is where sound relationship and one on one mentoring must have a place of prominence in our culture. Hence the commitment for us, the persons of influence.

Create a Memorable Day.

Stephen

Stephen M. Hannemann – © 2009 All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm and is filed under Motivation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.