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Lessons from a Nature Preserve
We are all connected. We all matter.
Recently, my wife Rachel and I had the privilege of visiting a beautiful wildlife refuge near our home. It was a beautiful experience. So beautiful that it moved me to write this.
It reminded me that this is how Florida used to be.
There was something profoundly beautiful about the simplicity of this park. It was a boardwalk that went over a wetland. Not much to look at if you were looking for spectacular and exciting vistas. But if you looked close enough the amount of wildlife was quite spectacular. We saw wood storks, alligators, turtles, and many other beautiful vegetation.
It recalled to me the idea that I don’t slow down enough in my life. I seem to always be moving to the next thing, and not savoring the present moment enough. It reminded me that as a society, we seem too interested in getting rid of the old to make room for the new. I felt sad about that.
I believe that progress is good. But I also believe in holding onto valuable parts of our past. This includes nature. It is beautiful that somebody had the sense to preserve this land.
One of the discussions my wife and I had while walking through the park was this concept of human beings just taking over land that they wanted by force. It has happened thousands of…
