Beware: Ersatz Life Ahead

August: On Wonder and AweAugust 7So long as man worships money and power (and when has he not?), I'm afraid we will only move further and further into this ersatz life. But that is a bit defeatist of me, isn’t it? There wasn’t a cure nearly a century ago, and there isn’t one today. But if you look hard enough, you can find others who refuse to enter into that false life, too. You can find those who are fighting for the future, for us, and for nature. You can find those who embody those wholesome emotions of wonder and humility. Those who stop to watch the stars and help others without looking for a reward in return. Today, I, like Carson in 1952, am convinced that there has never been a greater need for the reporter of the natural world. And they are out there. You just have to find them, join with them, and be one of them.Reflection title: Beware: Ersatz Life AheadCreative inspiration:  Rachel Carson, Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel CarsonReflection question: When have I fallen into the trap of the ersatz life? Am I practicing the wholesome emotions of wonder and humility to avoid falling into it again? Can I be a reporter of the natural world?