Assignment 3: Taking Thoreau's lead, can you imagine ways in which our technologically affected lives can be wedded with a sensual acuity for nature?

When I was little, my parents used to take me to the park almost every weekend. I am an only child, which is why I really enjoyed being outside and playing with the children of my parents’ friends. The adults would always have barbecues, play cards and talk for hours while us kids would run around on the grass, take baths in little ponds or play “witches” in the woods. I used to invent many games in general and I believe this is something that can be found in nearly everyone’s childhood. Not only is it much fun, it also trains your sense for fantasy, your social and organizational skills and an affinity for creating something in a practical, “hands-on” way.

                Since I didn’t have a computer at home until the age of 11 and got my first phone on my 14^th birthday, I spent most of my childhood days getting home from school, doing some homework and then knocking at my neighbor’s door to ask them to come outside and play. I would only come home when it was dark and it was time for dinner. Before I went to bed, my mother used to read for me and later, I read myself.

                I believe that for children nowadays it is much more difficult to dodge technology like that. A friend of mine told me about something that happened at one of his family’s events, which left me speechless. He was playing with his 2-year-old niece for quite some time so when he was tired, he gave her a really old nokia phone to play with – one where the screen is still black and white. The little girl took the phone and tried to “slide to unlock”. She had seen this action so many times at the age of two that she had internalized it and now tried it herself. I find this story remarkable, as it demonstrates how early the integration into the “technologized world” can take place.

                Neglecting the question, whether this is favorable or not, there are indeed some ways to maintain a healthy relationship to nature and natural things. It starts with the knowledge and the conscience about the importance of this matter. If our brains are stuck to screens all day, we are soon going to be fulfilling Thoreau’s prophecy and lose track of what is reality and what is illusion. It is not only interesting to look up a flower’s appearance on an iPad, but it is far more exiting to go outside and explore the beauty of that flower by finding it on a meadow. And how about establishing a screen-free day of the week? No phones, no tablets and no TVs. Instead, take a walk by the lake, talk about life and top the day off with a round of monopoly.

                Time is another essential factor that must be taken into consideration. It always seems as if these days, the day doesn’t have enough hours to do everything you need to do. But we forget that this is a matter of perceiving things. Of course, the velocity of the world requires us to keep up to some extent but it is still in our hands how we handle it. Even though it may take much tranquility and patience, that some people will probably never acquire, it is definitely possible. If you feel like you have too much to do, try to ask yourself, if you really need to do all of these things. We work and work until we drop to facilitate our luxurious lifestyle - and yes, it is more luxurious than we like to believe – and at the end of the day what do we actually get out of it?