Respone 2

            As I look back on the past twenty years, I realize how much has changed and advanced, as far as technology, in my lifetime alone.  It is difficult to say what we need compared to what we want.  One night a few weeks ago my friends and I realized how attached we are to our cell phones and claimed we could not live without them.  Then I began to wonder, well, the only reason we feel as though we would be lost without our phones and technology is because we have made these advances.  If objects such as phones, the internet, portable computers, would have never existed we would be perfectly fine.  We only think we need these things because someone told us we need them.  Then we considered the fact that the world has become accessible through a screen.  These screens now tell us where to go and what to do through e-mails, as well as provide us with information that we never even imagined existed.  It is easy to see the benefits of technology; it improves efficiency and creates a simple way to communicate with one another.  This poses a few questions.  Is it worth it to have the world at our fingertips?  Is this really making us happy or helping us live better?  If I really think about it, in some cases, it closes doors of communication and relationships.  Humanity no longer has to speak face to face, we can just write to each other instantaneously, never having to make actual human contact.  All technology is really doing is creating a barrier between the human race and the natural world.  Do we really want to become creatures that stair at screens all day instead of understand the benefits and quality of life?

            People who sit there and claim that we do not need the natural world in order to survive and lead happy lives, does not understand that technology would not be able to work without our environment.  Technology works because of chemicals and energy.  The two are actually closely linked together but vastly drag us farther apart from nature.  When I think about some of my fondest memories growing up, I begin to realize that most of them took place in a very natural world.  In high school my friends and I typically did not have a place to hang out at night.  There were forests all around us.  We created a sitting spot next to a river and a large oak tree branch that stretched over the path.  It created an environment with no rules or barriers.  It was the only place we could call our own.  Another creation of ours was a tree house.  My guy friends took the time to construct a full fledged tree house in the middle of a forest.  At night we would all sit up in the trees and sing songs around a bonfire.  Looking back, I remember we eventually had to take that tree house down.  The police saw it in the winter after the trees lost their leaves, and they told us it was against the law to just construct things in the middle of a forest.  To this day, I am not certain I understand what we were necessarily doing wrong.  Sometimes I go back to these places and it reminds me of some of the happiest times of my life.  There are people that hike, love mountain climbing, and taking vacations through national parks.  I am the opposite; I like amusement parks and visiting large cities.  In no way am I claiming that I love to be outside, most of the time I would prefer to sit inside and talk on my computer.  I know I have become a victim of this technological revolution, however, I still believe it is important for everyone to understand the beauty, mystery, and connection we have with the natural world.

The above image is from freshman year of high school.  This photograph was taken on the bridge in knock Knolls Park back home.  I still spend a lot of time here.  This past summer I went there about five times.  I chose this image because it best represents my favorite place to be outside.  There are so many memories at this park and so many experiences I have enjoyed with the people I truly care about.  I thank the natural world for giving me a place I could call home while the rest of the world closed their doors to teenagers who were always "up to no good."