FIRST STROKE (Part 1)
My pickup truck rolls to a stop in its usual resting place in our driveway. The motor is turned off and the cab is nearly silent - just the metallic jingle of my keys as they're extricated from the steering column and that distinct tink...tink...tink noise a hot engine makes as it cools down - ahh, and a long sigh from the exasperated driver. There are some days my friends; some long, difficult days when I've just about had all I can take of what the world portions out.
So I just linger there a in my seat afew moments; thinking back on the previous dozen hours. The day had begun poorly - not a good start at all. Every one of our kids were in a quarrelsome mood. It seemed as though they couldn't even tolerate their own shadows! I recall the door closing behind me as I left the house that morning, muting the sounds of several petty arguments. My poor wife was still trapped in there to fend for herself; refereeing such minutia as who gets what cereal box and "he's lookin' at me, make him stop! Waaaaa!" From there, I was more than willing to move on to my own battles. Yet as the day wore on, home didn't seem such a bad place to be after all: A number of contentious phone conversations, fruitless attempts to accommodate a few unreasonable folks, the disappointments and frustrations that arise when other people fail to meet my expectations, an endless stream of depressing stories from the news outlets I read and listen to, and to top it all off - the combative and inconsiderate drivers I shared the road with while making my way home. As I sit there; wondering what awaits me when I walk back through our front door, I give a somewhat spiteful chuckle, recalling a song from my favorite version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol:
(Click on the title below to watch a clip from
the film. If you share my somewhat twisted
sense of humor, you'll laugh as
Albert Finney sings in that scene)
the film. If you share my somewhat twisted
sense of humor, you'll laugh as
Albert Finney sings in that scene)
I HATE PEOPLELeslie BricusseSung by Albert Finney in the film "Scrooge", 1970.
"All right young fella, climbin' trees
is against the law in this neck of the woods.
I'll let ya off with a warning this time
but you just mind yerself
'cause I'll be watchin' ya"
Kensington Metropark has over 3,000 acres of mature forest encompassing Kent Lake - a 1,200 acre back-water created back in the 1940's by damming the Huron river. Oh, and ironically enough, felling the trees that once stood in that valley - the stumps of which are still visible beneath the surface of the water! Anyhow, according to my research, one acre of mature forest has an average of 250 trees. That would equal approximately 750,000 trees in Kensington. I've learned that the average mature tree has some 250,000 leaves on it. Therefore, Kensington's trees produce an estimated 187,500,000,000 leaves annually - imagine having to bag all those & take 'em to the curb! Are you still with me? Okay then, according to statistics I got from the park's own website, approximately 450,000 people visit it's grounds during the fall color season. Now, what would you assume to be the percentage of those visitors who'd be even remotely interested in taking a few leafy mementos home with them - 1%? Perhaps 5%? I seriously doubt any more than that but I'll assume a very generous 10% just to demonstrate the absurdity of all this. So then, 10% of the autumn visitors would equal about 45,000 people and they might take - oh, I'm gonna guess ten colorful leaves home with them; a whopping 450,000 leaves! That's less than what two trees produce annually - probably less than most of you rake up in your own back yards each fall and let's not forget it's spread out over 3,000 acres! Of the nearly 188 trillion leaves shed annually by the park's trees, we're talkin' about .00024% or put another way - jack diddly squat! Undoubtedly, more leaves blow into the park from neighboring private property than what you'd reasonably expect people to collect with their kids while teaching them to...uhm...appreciate the handiwork of God (a.k.a "the environment")!
I'm not suggesting that regulation of human behavior is unnecessary. On the contrary, scripture clearly teaches of the need for a governmental authority to restain man's fallen nature; keeping his tendency to destroy himself in check. I live next to a township park and serve on the committee which regulates it; giving its operation oversight. Therefore, I'm well aware of the need to have in place sound policies and ordinances to curtail certain human behavior which, if left unchecked, would eventually blight such places. What I'm saying is that parks are there for people - to be enjoyed by people. Therefore, they should be preserved for people not from people - a very important distinction. In the former, people are stewards of the land; in the latter - invaders; trespassers! If you prevent a child from climbing a tree or cherishing a few autumn keepsakes then you're instilling in them the notion that their very presence is somehow damaging the ground upon which they stand - your guiding principles are a bit skewed - however well-intentioned they may be.
The crux of the matter; the root of this whole environmental debate is the condition of the human race - I'll delve into this further in Part 2. 'Til then, consider with me some insights from the Word of God:
Scavengers and sycophants and flatterers and fools,
Pharisees and parasites and hypocrites and ghouls,
Calculating swindlers, prevaricating frauds,
Perpetrating evil as they roam the earth in hordes,
Feeding on their fellow men, reaping rich rewards,
Contaminating everything they see,
Corrupting honest men – like me.
Humbug! Poppycock! Balderdash! Bah!
I hate people. I hate people.
People are despicable creatures,
Loathsome inexplicable creatures,
Good-for-nothing kickable creatures.
I hate people. I abhor them...
I'm jolted back to reality as a couple of grubby little faces are pressed and contorted against the glass of the driver's side door. "Daddy...Daddy...Daddy - Daddy's home! More grubby faces appear as they make their way from the sand box, the woods, or other remote corners of the property - A slight smile threatens to crack my face. I part the crowd with my door as I exit the vehicle. "Here ya go Ben, carry your Daddy's briefcase into the house. Laura, you can take my lunch box" I say as I drag myself toward the front porch, the dinner table, and ultimately my favorite chair.
A change of clothes, perusal of the mail, a little light banter around the dinner table and eventually I collapse into my old trusty recliner. With remote in hand, I indulge myself with a little mind-rot as the TV awakens and begins to glow. Scrolling through the various offerings, something grabs my attention on the channel guide - Life After People. "Hmm", muttering to myself - Scrooge's song still echoing somewhere in one of the folds in my brain, "Now there's an interesting thought!"
The series is presented weekly by the History channel (now just what a show that prognosticates future scenarios has to do with history is beyond me - but I digress). It's an imaginative look at what would happen to all of man's buildings and technology in the decades that follow the sudden absence of the entire human population. It depicts the slow advance of forests and animal habitats; reclaiming the acreage once occupied by people, traffic, and buildings. As I sat fuming in my driveway earlier, the notion of wiping at least most of mankind off the face or the Earth wasn't all that far from my thoughts! And I must confess a certain measure of amusement upon seeing what I'd just witnessed on TV - a computer-generated rendering of the Eiffel Tower crumbling to the ground as its rusting remains slowly succumb to the elements! And yet, this show's premise bothers me. I believe it's evidence of the slow, steady creep of an insidious deception in our culture - especially pronounced has it been in recent years. Namely, that mankind's presence in the world is eclipsed by the greater value of his environment; that we're an affront to nature; an encroachment upon it. That the Earth and all it contains has intrinsic value and purpose apart from the presence of human beings. In short, we are nothing more than a product of the natural, undirected workings of the universe - highly organized concoctions brewed from the periodic table of the elements! More on that later. Meanwhile, indulge me if you will as I lay some anecdotal groundwork with a couple of stories - true stories I believe to be relevant to the topic of this piece.
A few years ago my brother loaded up his van, secured the trusty ol' Coleman pop-up to the trailer-hitch, and took his family on the road for a week of fun and adventure - camping in one of the state parks in near-by Ohio. He was carrying on the traditions that we had grown up with - enjoying the outdoors as a family. The scents and sounds of a camp-site are indelibly etched into my own memory as I'm sure they are his. The experience of immersing myself into vast forested acreage and tranquil waterways; exploring trails and paddling a canoe; settling-in for a serene evening around a crackling campfire - bothered only by the inevitable sibling skirmishes, a few biting insects and that confounded wisp of smoke that always seems to follow you no matter what side of the fire you're on!
Well folks, nowadays there are some new annoyances to contend with - as my brother and one of his boys so unpleasantly discovered. I believe it's embedded into the genetic make-up of a child - that irresistible urge to look for the perfect climbing tree and to accept the challenge to touch its upper boughs! It's a rite of passage of sorts for a kid - at least it was for me. My young nephew found such a tree in that Ohio camp-ground; wasting little time scampering up into its leafy realm. As he was enjoying the view from that lofty perch, a uniformed figure emerged from the shadows and took up a position below him. As my brother later related this story to me, I could just see that guy in my mind's eye - some Barney Fife type character standing with his hands on his hips citing a ridiculous park regulation which forbids tree-climbing. My nephew (the perp) was summoned from the branches, reprimanded, lectured about how climbing a tree puts un-do stress on it and warned not to climb any more of them!
No, I didn't make this story up - oh how I wish I had! How I wish I still lived in a culture where a youngster in a tree was a welcome sight rather than a misdemeanor. Anyone with an ounce of sense would know that that tree (or if you prefer, the victim) must withstand far greater stresses on its limbs each time a spring thunderstorm rolls through the area! Barney, the defender of trees; the voice of the helpless wooded beings of the forest - he and those who impose such foolishness upon people seem to lack any measurable amount of sense! Really now, what's to be gained from treating those who are simply engaged in a harmless, time-honored activity as if they were rogues and vandals - huh?
A change of clothes, perusal of the mail, a little light banter around the dinner table and eventually I collapse into my old trusty recliner. With remote in hand, I indulge myself with a little mind-rot as the TV awakens and begins to glow. Scrolling through the various offerings, something grabs my attention on the channel guide - Life After People. "Hmm", muttering to myself - Scrooge's song still echoing somewhere in one of the folds in my brain, "Now there's an interesting thought!"
The series is presented weekly by the History channel (now just what a show that prognosticates future scenarios has to do with history is beyond me - but I digress). It's an imaginative look at what would happen to all of man's buildings and technology in the decades that follow the sudden absence of the entire human population. It depicts the slow advance of forests and animal habitats; reclaiming the acreage once occupied by people, traffic, and buildings. As I sat fuming in my driveway earlier, the notion of wiping at least most of mankind off the face or the Earth wasn't all that far from my thoughts! And I must confess a certain measure of amusement upon seeing what I'd just witnessed on TV - a computer-generated rendering of the Eiffel Tower crumbling to the ground as its rusting remains slowly succumb to the elements! And yet, this show's premise bothers me. I believe it's evidence of the slow, steady creep of an insidious deception in our culture - especially pronounced has it been in recent years. Namely, that mankind's presence in the world is eclipsed by the greater value of his environment; that we're an affront to nature; an encroachment upon it. That the Earth and all it contains has intrinsic value and purpose apart from the presence of human beings. In short, we are nothing more than a product of the natural, undirected workings of the universe - highly organized concoctions brewed from the periodic table of the elements! More on that later. Meanwhile, indulge me if you will as I lay some anecdotal groundwork with a couple of stories - true stories I believe to be relevant to the topic of this piece.
A few years ago my brother loaded up his van, secured the trusty ol' Coleman pop-up to the trailer-hitch, and took his family on the road for a week of fun and adventure - camping in one of the state parks in near-by Ohio. He was carrying on the traditions that we had grown up with - enjoying the outdoors as a family. The scents and sounds of a camp-site are indelibly etched into my own memory as I'm sure they are his. The experience of immersing myself into vast forested acreage and tranquil waterways; exploring trails and paddling a canoe; settling-in for a serene evening around a crackling campfire - bothered only by the inevitable sibling skirmishes, a few biting insects and that confounded wisp of smoke that always seems to follow you no matter what side of the fire you're on!
Well folks, nowadays there are some new annoyances to contend with - as my brother and one of his boys so unpleasantly discovered. I believe it's embedded into the genetic make-up of a child - that irresistible urge to look for the perfect climbing tree and to accept the challenge to touch its upper boughs! It's a rite of passage of sorts for a kid - at least it was for me. My young nephew found such a tree in that Ohio camp-ground; wasting little time scampering up into its leafy realm. As he was enjoying the view from that lofty perch, a uniformed figure emerged from the shadows and took up a position below him. As my brother later related this story to me, I could just see that guy in my mind's eye - some Barney Fife type character standing with his hands on his hips citing a ridiculous park regulation which forbids tree-climbing. My nephew (the perp) was summoned from the branches, reprimanded, lectured about how climbing a tree puts un-do stress on it and warned not to climb any more of them!
No, I didn't make this story up - oh how I wish I had! How I wish I still lived in a culture where a youngster in a tree was a welcome sight rather than a misdemeanor. Anyone with an ounce of sense would know that that tree (or if you prefer, the victim) must withstand far greater stresses on its limbs each time a spring thunderstorm rolls through the area! Barney, the defender of trees; the voice of the helpless wooded beings of the forest - he and those who impose such foolishness upon people seem to lack any measurable amount of sense! Really now, what's to be gained from treating those who are simply engaged in a harmless, time-honored activity as if they were rogues and vandals - huh?
"All right young fella, climbin' treesis against the law in this neck of the woods.
I'll let ya off with a warning this time
but you just mind yerself
'cause I'll be watchin' ya"
Here in Southeastern Michigan, we have a local park system known as the Huron Clinton Metropark Authority - boasting a number of venues offering plentiful hiking, boating, picnic grounds, etc. Over the years, one of my favorite haunts has been Kensington Metropark. I'm particularly fond of strolling along the many miles of hiking trails found there - it's a place where I can go to steal away for a little while when I need some quiet solitude. I remember a particular warm autumn day a number of years ago when the park authority unveiled their new policy regulating leaf collecting. Yes folks, that's right - leaf-collecting! Is there anything more destructive to the environment than the occasional third-grader collecting a handful of red maple leaves to take home & press in a book? For goodness sake - this raping of the land must be stopped at all cost before it's too late!
Really now - are these folks serious? If they've got that much time on their hands - so much that they need to dream up nonsense like this, then perhaps they might take a few moments to do a little math like I just did:Kensington Metropark has over 3,000 acres of mature forest encompassing Kent Lake - a 1,200 acre back-water created back in the 1940's by damming the Huron river. Oh, and ironically enough, felling the trees that once stood in that valley - the stumps of which are still visible beneath the surface of the water! Anyhow, according to my research, one acre of mature forest has an average of 250 trees. That would equal approximately 750,000 trees in Kensington. I've learned that the average mature tree has some 250,000 leaves on it. Therefore, Kensington's trees produce an estimated 187,500,000,000 leaves annually - imagine having to bag all those & take 'em to the curb! Are you still with me? Okay then, according to statistics I got from the park's own website, approximately 450,000 people visit it's grounds during the fall color season. Now, what would you assume to be the percentage of those visitors who'd be even remotely interested in taking a few leafy mementos home with them - 1%? Perhaps 5%? I seriously doubt any more than that but I'll assume a very generous 10% just to demonstrate the absurdity of all this. So then, 10% of the autumn visitors would equal about 45,000 people and they might take - oh, I'm gonna guess ten colorful leaves home with them; a whopping 450,000 leaves! That's less than what two trees produce annually - probably less than most of you rake up in your own back yards each fall and let's not forget it's spread out over 3,000 acres! Of the nearly 188 trillion leaves shed annually by the park's trees, we're talkin' about .00024% or put another way - jack diddly squat! Undoubtedly, more leaves blow into the park from neighboring private property than what you'd reasonably expect people to collect with their kids while teaching them to...uhm...appreciate the handiwork of God (a.k.a "the environment")!
I'm not suggesting that regulation of human behavior is unnecessary. On the contrary, scripture clearly teaches of the need for a governmental authority to restain man's fallen nature; keeping his tendency to destroy himself in check. I live next to a township park and serve on the committee which regulates it; giving its operation oversight. Therefore, I'm well aware of the need to have in place sound policies and ordinances to curtail certain human behavior which, if left unchecked, would eventually blight such places. What I'm saying is that parks are there for people - to be enjoyed by people. Therefore, they should be preserved for people not from people - a very important distinction. In the former, people are stewards of the land; in the latter - invaders; trespassers! If you prevent a child from climbing a tree or cherishing a few autumn keepsakes then you're instilling in them the notion that their very presence is somehow damaging the ground upon which they stand - your guiding principles are a bit skewed - however well-intentioned they may be.
The crux of the matter; the root of this whole environmental debate is the condition of the human race - I'll delve into this further in Part 2. 'Til then, consider with me some insights from the Word of God:
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
Romans 8:18-22 (New American Standard Bible)
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
