Man vs Nature
By Ingrid Muñoz
People often talk about nature and man as if they were two separate things. Man-made this. Natural that. But sometimes I wonder if they’re different at all.
If you spend time watching nature, or read about it in your biology books, you’ll see that it has one amongst many lessons to give: the circle of life is not merciful, or emotional, or forgiving. The weak die. They live on only in the bodies of those who survive – in the strong, in the fit, in the smart. By that light…it seems that humans are not as different as they claim to be.
What is the purpose of calling ourselves the most “dominant” species? What is the purpose of being the most special and unique – the ones set apart, the ones destined for greater things – if we act no better than those we label as other?
O Nature, O Earth.
If I took a closer look at you, if I interpreted your symbols, if I recognized your patterns, what might I learn?
What would you reveal to me, your student, if I learned to understand your language? What would you sound like?
Would I be able to differentiate between your joy and your pain, your excitement from your anger? Or would there be silence?
Why are we so different from all the rest? Why did you select us?
Were we meant to be your voice? Have we failed you?
Have we asked for too much?