“Our forebears never dreamed that honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every person would result in the hyper-individualism and disconnection of our current culture. It never occurred to them that human agency could create global warming or decimate local food sheds or destroy the relational fabric of our communities.” -Gail Lindsay Marriner
How does nature help you distinguish between intent and impact?
I try to be kind, understanding. loving, and helpful to all though the environment I am now in often sees emotions and actions as a sign of weakness. I believe this exhibits the exact opposite, a sign of strength in the face of the cruelty of the penal system. This certainly is reinforced when I look at nature and how it seeks to find a foothold no matter the environment, from a mouse in a concrete prison cell to the wild flowers that dot our prison yard. If life can simply be no matter the landscape it finds itself in then why can’t I be myself, be the man I want to be, what I endeavor to be with every fiber of my being? If nature knows no other way than to survive and be itself, why shouldn’t I do the same? Am I not a part of this greater force, after all? -Light, a CLF member incarcerated in SC
What are lessons you take from the tenacity of nature?
“In order to keep my feet under me, I have to remember where I am. I want to know the names of the trees and the grasses. It is my goal to know always, no matter where I am, whether the moon is new or full, waxing or waning. There is a sliver of a new moon today. It rose just after the sun rose and will set just after the sun sets. It will rise a little later every day until, at full moon, it will rise as the sun sets. I have to know where I am in order to be here for my life. I don’t want to skate along the surface. Getting oriented helps me dig in. So I talk to myself about what I see, about what the earth is doing, about where I am in time, and about where I am on the crust of the planet.” -Meg Barnhouse
How do you remember where you are?
“I was nine or ten when my mother gave me permission to plant and tend my first garden. I was given a rectangular patch of ground out behind the garage, and in it I planted my two favorite vegetables—corn and peas. That gardening project (and subsequent gardens too) provided as much of a miracle as I had ever experienced, or would experience until the birth of my children years later. You plant seeds in the dirt. Through the summer you make sure that they have plenty of water and that they aren’t choked out by too many weeds. You watch the seeds sprout into little plants that grow and grow. And then you witness the very beginning formation of the fruit. In time, spikes on the corn plant develop into the fullness of ears, and the little pods on the sprawling vines swell as a row of peas takes full shape inside them. And when the time is right…you get to eat them! It’s truly astonishing for a nine-year-old—or for someone of any age.” -Charles Blustein Ortman
What miracles have you witnessed in a garden?
I find that everything in nature resonates deeply within each of us, whether we feel it or not.The changing seasons teach us about birth, life, death and then rebirth. Each season gives us an image of each part of our life. Our brothers and sisters in the animal kingdom teach us about home and hearth; how to care for our young; how to give respect, as well as gain respect. Mother nature also tells us when we aren’t treating her correctly or fairly. The changes in our world are because of the things we did to abuse her and she is showing us.We can learn so much about the Earth if only we would open our eyes. But, we could learn so much about ourselves and our communities if we would do the same. -Brandi, a CLF member incarcerated in NC
What lessons do you learn from nature?
