A few weeks ago, I came across a statement on social media about a book published several decades ago regarding the theory that humans cannot adequately cope with a high rate of ongoing technological and social change, and that the high rate of change over time induces stress often to the point of psychological disorder. At the time, I thought, "well that's an interesting idea, probably with some truth to it." However, rather than being a passing thought, the concept has stuck in my mind over the past weeks, and it seems especially applicable right now.
I grew up in a rural area, and about five years ago, after spending the better part of a decade in a large metropolis, I left the city to move back home. Needless to say, those of us who prefer rural settings tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. I've been considering what it would be like to still live in the city right now, completely cut off from nature without spending several hours just to drive past the sprawling metropolitan area and get out to a location that's more green than gray. Over the past months, throughout the corona virus scare and the social unrest, I have been particularly thankful for my surroundings. It's a well-understood concept that that immersing yourself in nature tends to have a centering and calming effect, and in my recent experience I've noticed that as the tension in society has increased, so too has the calming effect of being in nature. There is a great benefit conferred upon a person who immerses himself in nature in that he can realize and experience first hand that much of the world goes on more-or-less immune to whims of social and political forces. Needless to say, that feeling can provide a great relief, especially in a time of rapidly escalating tensions such as those we are dealing with now.
Like nature, pipe smoking has been a consistent form of relaxation and enjoyment, and lighting up a pipe of some fine blend or another that's good enough to enjoy like a fine wine or a scotch helps to take my mind off current sources of stress in a similar manner to paddling my canoe down a stream. Of course the centering power of the pipe is not nearly so strong as the centering power of immersing oneself in nature, but it's almost like a lesser version of the same experience. Much like the (apparently) unchanging natural landscape, pipe smoking goes back centuries in time, and there is some connection to those earlier periods, almost like a small type of eternity in smoking a pipe.
Anyhow, I understand that the stretch from nature to pipes is a bit tenuous, but both have provided a warming consistency during periods of turbulence, and I appreciate them both for their calming and centering effect.
I grew up in a rural area, and about five years ago, after spending the better part of a decade in a large metropolis, I left the city to move back home. Needless to say, those of us who prefer rural settings tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. I've been considering what it would be like to still live in the city right now, completely cut off from nature without spending several hours just to drive past the sprawling metropolitan area and get out to a location that's more green than gray. Over the past months, throughout the corona virus scare and the social unrest, I have been particularly thankful for my surroundings. It's a well-understood concept that that immersing yourself in nature tends to have a centering and calming effect, and in my recent experience I've noticed that as the tension in society has increased, so too has the calming effect of being in nature. There is a great benefit conferred upon a person who immerses himself in nature in that he can realize and experience first hand that much of the world goes on more-or-less immune to whims of social and political forces. Needless to say, that feeling can provide a great relief, especially in a time of rapidly escalating tensions such as those we are dealing with now.
Like nature, pipe smoking has been a consistent form of relaxation and enjoyment, and lighting up a pipe of some fine blend or another that's good enough to enjoy like a fine wine or a scotch helps to take my mind off current sources of stress in a similar manner to paddling my canoe down a stream. Of course the centering power of the pipe is not nearly so strong as the centering power of immersing oneself in nature, but it's almost like a lesser version of the same experience. Much like the (apparently) unchanging natural landscape, pipe smoking goes back centuries in time, and there is some connection to those earlier periods, almost like a small type of eternity in smoking a pipe.
Anyhow, I understand that the stretch from nature to pipes is a bit tenuous, but both have provided a warming consistency during periods of turbulence, and I appreciate them both for their calming and centering effect.
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