There is a golf course right next to the cemetery where I walk. This has led me to consider the number of acres that were once habitat for numerous species, and are now mostly devoid of life. Added to that are the parking lots, baseball diamonds, football stadiums, skating parks, ski areas, racetracks, tarmacs, playgrounds, and beaches that make up some of the areas created strictly for human recreation. In spite of the numerous lakes and ponds that have been built, most are purely made for water sports and pose great danger to waterfowl and fish. There are a limited number of protected wetlands and lakes where wild birds and amphibians can eke out a living. More than two million acres of land in the U.S. alone, are utilized for golf courses. More than 5% of the land is taken up by parking lots that are impervious to water runoff. The collective human ego believes that the Earth was put here only for our own enjoyment and fails to recognize that we are part of her.
Human beings are thrill seekers. They seek always to escape from the life in which they are immersed. They camp out for hours at a time in memories of their past, or they fantasize about the non-existent future, or they lose themselves completely in the mesmerizing addictions of television and social media. The present moments slip by, one by one, and then they are gone. They do not question if the fulfillment of their own selfish desires is harming another. There is a sense of entitlement, as though they are owed happiness. What they do not realize, is that reverence for life, respect for others, and deep felt gratitude is the means to contentment. They will not find it in the many forms of entertainment, many of which only encourage aggression. They will not find it until they learn to sit quietly and to observe the present moment. This is true leisure – the letting go of the stories they tell themselves. This is peace. It is the peace that begins within.
