Cartoon by Michael Leunig, http://www.leunig.com.au
Wow, I’m impressed. Yesterday afternoon, Sarah Koschak, Director at Listening Earth, posted this cartoon by Michael Leunig on Richard Louv‘s Facebook page. I saw it, loved it, and immediately shared on the Therapeutic Landscapes Network’s Facebook page.
Before I went to bed, the cartoon had over 50 “likes,” a record for the TLN FB page. 18 hours later, it has received 130 likes and 80 “shares” (people posting to other people’s walls or pages). Now, still less than 24 hours later, there 168 likes and 96 shares.
If you’re not into social media, this may not mean much to you, and I grant you that it’s a bit ironic that all of this happens through our various devices, including probably Facebook apps on iPhones, etc., but nevertheless…wow! So, what about this struck such a chord with people? What resonates so strongly? I’d love comments from you.
I love nature too, but sometimes even the city feels like nature to me. I’m surrounded by other animals, after all, even if the landscape is overbuilt and weird. But increasingly all these other animals are plugged in to these “devices” that make them seem like only brief visitors to this time and place, as if they were space people on the verge of “beaming up” somewhere else. And increasingly, I wish they would!
Ha ha, it’s true! It’s a strange thing, the mobile devices. Although I must say, I’ve found some pretty cool apps on them, like Leafsnap that helps you identify tree leaves. Still, I hear you. And there is so much nature to be found in the city. It’s what some people call “nearby nature.” You don’t have to travel all the way to a national park to be in nature, it is all around us. Even just gazing up at the breeze moving the leaves of a street tree, and seeing the sky through that, can be enough to help us connect and recharge. Thanks for your comment.
For the record: 2 weeks later, this little Facebook post as 551 likes and 271 shares.
Ruth and Lara, I think you both nailed it. Sometimes we (in this field) get caught up in complexity, when things can be as simple as looking up at the sky, or a similar connection to nature.
I believe our society has lost the grounding we had when our society was a more agricultural based society. The universe offers strenght, rest, calm and light for our soul. All we need sometime is a gentle nudge and the cartoon does that so well.
For me, I spend so much time thinking about nature, natural systems and landscapes while actually staring at one screen or another. It’s important to remind each other to spend time outside; let’s actually inhabit the landscapes we cherish so much. Step out and look up! Thanks for posting.