nature

Emerson writes “few adult persons can see nature.” By this I believe that he means that as children we can see nature as what it is. As something beautiful. As we grow older we lose the innocence that we had as children. Our ability to see nature becomes clouded with preconceptions and negative experience that prevent us from truly seeing the beauty of nature. As a child we don’t have any misconceptions or preconceived ideas about something and can see things for what they really are. A adult on the other hand brings things such as experience or knowledge with them and that distracts us from seeing what is really there. A child sees nature clearly with a wonder that most adults don’t have. Most adults see nature from a filter or a rose colored lens. As a child grows older they lose their innocence through experiences that change their view of reality and life, so they begin to lose touch with nature. This innocence can be regained however . Spending a extended amount of time in nature, away from other human contact can repsark the natural innocence that a person has, allowing them to reconnect with nature and see it for what it really is. It has been my experience though that once a person gets back to civilization, with their cell phones, cable TV and internal combustion engines the natural innocence they had fades away. The losing of innocence is sad but to reconnect back with nature one only has to get back out, back way outside and they will be one of the few adult persons to see nature.