The Story of Two Turkeys: Walking with Nature vs. Walking through Nature
Not a Thanksgiving allegory. A story for our times.
Scrolling through Facebook, I came across this post, a memory from on this day (12/2) in 2016 written by a friend who volunteers at the same nature center where I facilitate programs. Joe Kelly is the ‘possum’ guy, who loves to share the infinite benefits of opossums with the center’s visitors while walking around with an opossum on his shoulder.
I had to share his story with you, with Joe’s permission, of course. His story. His photo.
I’m not about making wrong, and yet, this is a too-typical sight when I’m out walking with Nature. Our young people being taught not to notice the natural world, not to be curious. And, while I can never know the mother’s story, it doesn’t seem like it was an isolated incident. So, I send some caring her way.
Here’s Joe’s story, as written:
“True but mostly sad story.
I was at Frank Melville (park) today. We came across two turkeys, the feathered kind.
A mom, her son and her daughter were there but spaced apart. Mom is on a cell phone, too busy to notice the turkeys, let alone that her children were lagging far behind. This is despite walking within ten feet of the birds and Laura and my attempts to flag her and point out the turkeys. Her son saw our attempts and joined us in awe of the oversized quails.
Once again we tried to get Mom's attention but nothing doing. I said, "Your Mom's missing some show". In a resigned voice he replied, "Yeah, she's on the phone". He knew it was wrong but at the same time, he knew he couldn't change things.
Then comes his sister, who was slightly older than him at about 12 or 13 years of age. She was walking the stiff-legged walk of the angry almost-teenager who doesn't want to hear about anything and wouldn't care anyway. Despite seeing the turkeys that her brother (and us) pointed out to her, she was determined not to care. (I think we all recognize that attitude.) The young man explained: "She's in a bad mood today".
Throughout all of this encounter, which probably lasted no more than four minutes, this youngster was continually upbeat and positive. Laura and I both told him that it was a pleasure to have met him and he answered in kind.
What I didn't tell him was that he had made my day. Heck, maybe even my whole week. That young dude was as personable as you could expect anyone to be even though he was largely ignored by his own Mother and barely tolerated by his sister.
Keep up the good fight Little Man. You're an inspiration to us all.”
Thank you, Joe, for writing about this. We need to do better with our children, making Nature personal, not just something to walk through. We need to walk with Nature for their sake and ours, frankly.
Here’s one of my favorite photos of Joe with one of Sweetbriar’s opossums:
We’ve all been distracted in Nature, or feel the need to multitask on our devices while walking. Nature still offers the benefits of a boosted immune system with its phytoncides from the trees and plants. Nature still offers a lowered cortisol level no matter how many phone calls we make, although those phone calls may be boosting our cortisol at the same time.
Wouldn’t it be nice it we still noticed Nature no matter why we came outside today?
With love, light and awe,
Linda
Thanks for being a subscriber or reading for the first time! I write about Nature, share my photography, and as a certified forest therapy guide, I offer ways to walk WITH Nature instead of simply walking through it.