Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Weekly Geeks: Nature & Connection

This week's Weekly Geek is about connection.
Firstly, have you come across a phrase recently that has made an impact on you? And secondly, who do you read with?

In answer to the first question, I'm always coming across phrases, lines, quotes that leap out at me and touch a part of my heart. I keep a running list of them in the book I call my quote-book and recently I've started posting a few of them on Goodreads also. One of the latest ones I've found came in re-reading FAHRENHEIT 451 for my lit class.

This was all he wanted now. Some signs that the immense world would accept him and give him the time he needed to think all the things that must be thought.

This line comes at a point in the book where Guy Montag (spoiler alert! for anyone unfortunate enough to have not read this book yet) is on the run and essentially out in the wilderness, in the middle of nature. And he's never really been around nature before.

It reminded me, almost instantly, of the woods I grew up across a dirt road from and of the fact that the sky is so big and when I was younger, before I lived so close to a city, it seemed even bigger. There was more nature. More outside. I'm not a very athletic person (to say the least) and I do tend to prefer the indoors to the out, but honestly this has a lot to do with the type of outdoors I have around here. Everything is managed and civilized and I don't like that type of outside. I like the type that looks as if you're the first person on earth to reach that particular spot, the type that always reminds you of how big it is an how small you are and give you all the space and all the time you need to think the things that must be thought. And it's not that I never find that feeling anymore, but the further away you get from a place in nature where you feel completely at peace, the less often you feel that kind of wide open spaces peace. At least, I do.

As for the second part of the question, who do you read with?, the answer is... nobody. I have blogger friends, but for the most part reading is a solitary activity for me. Books anchor me; they're a part of me, and although I love talking about them, blogging about them, recommending them, and sharing them with others, the actual reading experience is mine and mine alone.

So, what about you guys? If you've answered the Weekly Geek question on your own blog, leave me a link so I can visit you!

3 comments:

  1. I've always been a city girl, but I do know what you mean about their being a special kind of peace when close to nature. Growing up, my family spent a lot of time camping in the mountains--and to this day, I love being in the mountains, surrounded by all those trees . . . It really does free up the mind.

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  2. I can read anywhere. But I loved reading with my dad.

    Here is my Weekly Geeks post!

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  3. I grew up very close to nature so when I moved to the 'burbs I found myself wishing for it again. I try to find new wild places to visit. We take lots of hikes now.

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