“Today I sit on dry grass at the end of the island by the slower side of the creek. I am drawn to this spot. I come to it as to an oracle; I return to it as a man years later will seek out the battlefield where he lost his leg or an arm.”(7) In the opening chapter of “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,” Annie Dillard expresses how humbling and awe-inspiring nature can be. Personally, I have also experienced similar feelings towards the natural world in which we live in. The natural environment truly is magnificent in its enormity and complexity. For example, survival in the cycle of life can be very vicious. “The usual method seems to be to subdue the victim by downing or grasping it so it can’t flee, then eating it whole or in a series of bloody bites.”(8)
I find it very interesting that even though the cycle of life is filled with carnage and ruthlessness, we still gaze upon it with such awe. We also strive to do whatever is necessary to preserve it. Yes, without these natural cycles, life on earth would fail to exist but why do we stand mesmerized at all of nature’s fury when we, the human race, would take no part in slaying our prey and eating it raw. Can the human race keep nature pure and untainted or will we continue to domesticate it like our own race?
~mcglynjs
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