We had three readings today to commemorate Rachel Carson's birthday (May 27, 1907).
Bill Pierson read from his cell phone:
One
way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, What if I had never seen this before?
What if I knew I would never see it again?
Don Hunter and I (Dale Hoyt) chose selections from Carson's posthumously
published book, A Sense of Wonder.
Don's selection:
Those
who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the
earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the vexations or concerns of
their personal lives, their thought can find paths that lead to inner
contentment and to renewed excitement in living. Those who contemplate the
beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life
lasts.
Finally, my selection:
A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful,
full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that
clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful an awe-inspiring,
is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the
good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I
should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so
indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote
against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile
preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources
of our strength.
. . .
I
sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him,
it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that
later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and impressions of the
senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.
