...nature

I realize that I'm somewhat of the under-voiced class cynic, but I figure we're past midterms...why change my tune now? I mean I guess if I try hard enough I can think of the view from Ireland's Cliff's of Moher, or the natural hot water springs on an island off the Amalfi Coast, or even the October drive home to Pittsburgh and the rolling orange and yellow hills. But when I think of my experiences with nature I most often remember the time I received 12 'enchanting' bee-stings in the same summer, one being on the very tip of my nose. I think of the delightful garden snake that found its way into my pillow case. I remember one magical moment where I lay on my trampoline next to my date whilst watching the stars as they shown through the leaves of the tree above. I also remember the fat-lip I received from the exquisitely placed acorn that fell from it's branches. I think of battle that goes on in my head before I lay out by my pool: suntan lotion, or bug spray? At one point this summer I had 18 mosquito bites...on my left foot!
But in really thinking about these things I can begin to understand that there were so many bee's around my house that summer because the woods and wildflowers were being worked over to make room for a new housing complex, and we became one of the few flowery areas within a couple acres. I can also understand that when we dug beside our house to make room for a new garage, we also destroyed the edge of the woods where that snake might have previously lived. There are so many mosquito's in my neighborhood because the small creek that used to run through our backyard sits stagnant for most of the time because the borough office tried to re-route it a half mile down to make room for their new fire-house and it's never been the same. I mean there is absolutely no excuse for the acorn, I am still upset about that.
But the conclusion I can at least come to is that we have profound impacts on nature...which just so happens to be the environment in which we live. So unless we want snakes in our homes, we probably shouldn't destroy theirs.