A Complex Relationship with Nature

He is terribly afraid of dying because he hasn’t yet lived. — Franz Kafka

The complexity of life is not ours to comprehend, but it is our obligation to remain full of faith.

I am neither a garden-guru nor 'nature whisperer', but a mere human finding ways to survive and thrive. Probably an old soul deeply attached to my prehistoric roots, a fusion of both nomadic and islander origin.

Last month, I got an invite to join the first prompt on What is Knowledge to You by anttn in the Unity Towards Freedom Community. I have been writing it in draft about the knowledge of unlearning, but feeling so out of tune, I decided to let it go.

Then another one came and it hit me differently, leaving me with the same question in repetition inside my head, what is your relationship with nature?

I could not find a single answer.

I am not satisfied with a word or even a phrase.

It is not friendship. Not even love. How much more as mutualism, parasitism, or the likes.

Human Parasitism

Our superiority has just blinded us to the truth that we are all just one, which is cosmic dust or whatever the physicists claim us to be—wave or particle.

I probably have zoned out, physically, for a minute or two, thinking why greed became the religion of some us. Gluttons for global manipulation and control, when life is generally capped at 100 years old or so. For what reason do they hunger for more wealth, fame, and power when they die, they can't even bring any blings to afterlife?

We could also be all hypocrites claiming relationships with nature, awaiting to share our thoughts virtually in devices made from the resources of the Earth and the blood and sweat of thousands factory workers and laborers!

But do not be afraid, it is what it is, and capitalism and consumerism has become the very framework of what holds humanity now. Remove it and see the world go into chaos and ruins. We can fight for equality, rights, freedom, but there will always be people who have no heart for humanity as a whole.

The Universe Creates

So let us just resolve that we are all perpetrators for the decay of Earth, or is it that so simple at all?

Scientists claim that the earth would thrive without humans, which is true, but our mainstream science have indirectly polarized the world instead of creating a complex gradient and matrix of complex relationships.

Predator and prey.

Host and parasite, familiar?

Some artists have continually portrayed humanity as a parasite or a disease to Earth.

This is unbelievable! I am deeply against that notion. We are not parasites nor a disease, but we are just visitors to the universe and we will all shall leave in time.

The universe creates and it will destroy.

Humanity is just lucky to have been formed through years of evolution, or through creation, whichever is your belief. With our existence and our intelligence, we will unceasingly consume Earth, then someday the Moon, Mars, and whatever place we land in outer space in the future—say Asteroid Mining or Dyson Spheres.

Is Nature Universal?

The universe will not judge humanity, it will just continue to create and destroy. Create and destroy.

Flying to outer space is really expensive and exhaustive, so let's go back to putting labels on relationships with nature.

Nature is just a made up term, probably a utopia used by humanity to pacify themselves from their innate fears and also for bad actors to take advantage of.

If we were to be a different life form in a different universe, what could our notion of nature be? Imagine a melodysheep's world of aliens, could it be carbon-based or synthetic?

And my intrinsic relationship with nature is coded in my biology, my DNA. It is the instinct for survival amid constant change, a matrilineal and patrilineal gift from generations of humans, primates, animals, and to LUCA from where we all came from including bacteria, plants, fungus, and a lot more nerdy stuff.

It is not just a polarized relationship, but a complex matrix of survivalism, where each component tries to out-survive one another. With this instinct for survival, or maybe it is fear, we create a world were we feel safe, although without any guarantee. I may be all out for sustainability, but what happens after me, after us?

Nature Beyond our Lifetime

Big corporations will continually strive survive and thrive, destroying our perceived Utopian Nature while shelling out billions to be falsely labeled as eco-friendly, fair-trade, cruelty-free, and child labor free.

But as long as I live, I will continue to nurture this complex relationship with nature through reforestation, permaculture, sustainability. So that I can gather more people who will choose a better character of humanity—not as a parasite—and choose a better version of what nature they want to see.

Still, beware, your hot coffee might still be trying to kill you! ;)

PINNED POSTS

	Clearing the Damage After the Storm Instead of falling into anxiety, I took time to make use of what the storm had given.
	Building Abundance with More Fruit Trees Amid the Economic Turmoil This year, I planned to initially plant 100 trees wherever possible until the year ends.
	Using Saltwater and Fire to Heal a Permaculture Garden Plant debris becomes natural mulch and organic matter.
	Harvesting Cucumbers After a Year of Labor As crops mature, harvest season began as well.
	Fermenting Fish Amino Acid for the Garden Crops It would be a sin to throw away such things, even the food scraps I turn it to compost now.

About Me

@oniemaniego is a software developer, but outside work, he experiments in the kitchen, writes poetry and fiction, paints his heart out, or toils under the hot sun.

	Onie Maniego / Loy Bukid was born in rural Leyte. He often visits his family orchards during the summers and weekends, which greatly influenced his works.