When you enjoy the outdoors, do you gravitate towards places that have been specifically set aside for enjoyment, such as parks with manicured grass and benches and seating – or do you look for spots of wilderness, where nature is left to do its own thing?
I thought of this question as I sat on a small hillock that overlooks a quiet nature reserve/park which I visit frequently. Opposite me at some distance is the manicured side of the park, with neatly trimmed bushes, cut grass and asthetically placed rocks and boulders. It is all very pretty, but it’s not the side I ever go to relax and sit down and ponder on the day and life in general.
Instead I head for the places of wilderness where nature is untroubled by the hands of landscape gardeners and alike. Surrounded by bushes and trees that grow hither and dither, where creatures, insects and birds reside happily, and where the sound of the wind or breeze moving through the trees creates a soothing resonance, I am happiest.
In a spot like this, away from mankind’s tamed environment, I can blend in with nature and become a part of the bigger picture. It is also a way of detaching from the everyday hustle and bustle of life – stepping out of the ordered world and being in amongst untrammeled nature.
Elsewhere I will seek out rocks, or weathered planks of wood that have been set up as makeshift benches on which to sit and watch the ocean and the clouds. And these unofficial seating spots, tucked away in hidden places, are always my choice rather than the plastic wood-imitation benches that have been cemented into place in the more accessible spots used by the public.
In tucked away areas where nature is most at home – so am I. For in these places my mind can most readily dream and wander freely. That is why I always seek out such places.
