Nature Connection: Paying Attention

 It’s easy to get distracted in these days of constant information and image overload. We are leashed to little phone computer screens that generations before us never imagined. There is so much going on today that would confuse and appall our parents and grandparents, and the phones in our pocket always buzzing or dinging would have been something they would have thought was right out of sci-fi.

 But here we are, attached to others in ways no other generation has ever been. This past week I have followed the posts of a friend halfway around the world. He has ridden on camels, eaten food he couldn’t identify, and experienced the kindness of people he never met and who don’t share his language. I have also seen the latest works of art from people I follow and hundreds of suggestions for new puppies or kittens from shelters and rescue organizations since I looked at one post last week. I have been bombarded with news, both real and fake. I have cried for lost children I never met and for victims of accidents I didn’t know. I’ve been horrified by so many things that my head hurts. None of these were in-person experiences. They all took place on a tiny screen full of pixels and WiFi and other words that may sound silly to the uninitiated. 

 I’m surely not alone in this. I’ve read that we are now getting more news and images put in front of us in a year than our grandparents had in a whole lifetime. No wonder we are all so angry, confused and exhausted. We are being overwhelmed by things we have no control over.

 We do, however, have control over our responses. For one thing, we can limit our screen time. It’s been proven to be an addiction, and many of us have fallen prey to it. I carry my phone everywhere because I use the camera and the notes app when out in the field. I have never allowed notifications except for texts and yet I get bings and dings all day long from family and friends.

 Trying to stay focused when I am out in nature has been getting more and more difficult. I run into people who are taking selfies next to plants or gulls on the beach. Some want me to take a snapshot of them holding up a fish they caught. People walk by me in the woods talking by speaker phone so all of us — squirrels, birds and me — can all hear the exciting story about their recent colonoscopy and how excited they were to eat a snack afterwards. Truly newsworthy, right?

 It’s harder and harder to pay attention to the things in front of us, but not impossible. Early morning walks are still the best. Those people I run into tend to be like me, looking for birds or bugs or turtles or flowers. We smile as we pass each other, perhaps exchange a few words about where the bird they were watching flew or what kind of butterfly was sipping from the puddle. 

 There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and our attention is being tossed around like an old tennis ball. Just as it’s about to land, an eager dog grabs it and runs circles around us. The natural world is exploding with life right now, but it’s difficult to give it our attention when the human-built world is imploding with ignorance and prejudice. Watching baby orioles fuss over orange halves is much more fun but sometimes feels more like a guilty pleasure than something worthwhile and calming.

 It is important, I think, to pay attention to nature, though. After all, nature is the real world. All the borders, money, politics and discussions are constructs of the human mind. They are distractions, just like the dings on my phone. The more attention we give them, the more they demand. Let’s pay attention to the people and animals and land around us instead. Let’s remember that without trees and clean water, we are first diminished, then threatened, just like the little piping plovers so many love to hate.

 Let’s not forget that plants are the basis of everyone’s food chain, whether we are bears, lions, bass, herons, sparrows or ants. All carnivores depend on herbivores who depend on plants. Spend some time this week with a few wild plants. In the woods, look for ghost pipes and marvel at all the ways they differ from the plants that photosynthesize. They are not fungi, though their lack of color may fool you. Watch a dragonfly nymph rise from the water to break through its exoskeleton and become an airborne winged thing of beauty, fragility, and finally strength. Watch a bee fly from blossom to blossom collecting pollen, a mother bird feeding its young. 

 Our attention is being stolen every day. Most of us take precautionary measures to safeguard the things we treasure, but our attention may be the most important to protect. Let’s get outside more, look at our phones less. Watch a bird instead of a video. Listen to the wind instead of a podcast or song or heaven help us, an influencer. Smell the salt air, the scent of summer sun on a meadow, the piney goodness of a forest.

 Nature reminds us every day what and where reality lies. We ignore this at our peril, as individuals and as a society. We need to pay attention to what is real, not all the distractions that are relentlessly thrown our way. Get outside, take a deep breath and listen to the whispers of wind and waves. They speak the truth.