„The health of the eye seems to demand a horizon. We are never tired, so long as we can see far enough“.
Ralf Waldo Emerson
In his essay Nature Emerson laid the foundation of transcendentalism, a new approach to appreciate the beauty that nature has to offer. Which might sound superflous to some, you might ask who doesn't appreciate the nature?
The place I am from wasn't considered pretty in the time Emerson wrote his essay, even though it is situated directly by the sea and even has beaches.
No one would have gotten the idea of going swimming, most people wouldn't have been able to swim anyways. The north sea is muddy and rough or as the marketing for the museum of wracks goes:
Nordsee ist Mordsee
(North sea is murder sea)
This changed when transcendental thinking became commonly accepted. Artists discovered these rough patches of land, it was found that the mud, water and algae even had curing effects and nowadays there are thousands of tourists sitting on the balcony of their hotel room enjoying the view.
Going into nature is now a metaphor for seeking solitude and finding shelter from the constraints of society. Being in the nature often leaves one with curious thoughts that wouldn't dare to pop up while sitting in big city appartement. Often it leads to feel more whole and we wonder, how we were able to stand the noise, the bad air, the crowded streets..
„Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous. The dawn is my Assyria, the sun-set and moon-rise my Paphos, and unimaginable realms of Faerie;
broad noon shall be my England of the senses and the understanding;
the night shall be my Germany of mystic philosophy and dreams.“
But: do we want to live in nature?
That train of thought probably led Thoreau to the experiences he put down in his well known book Walden. A man finding himself by experiencing the beauty of seasonal changes and natural decay.
Well, reading the book and being impressed and smitten for a while is one thing. Following his leading transcendentalist footsteps quite another.
Urban life can be demanding at times. The space is limited and the view out of the window can't be called „healthy for the eye“ which might be the reason for the constant feeling of lack of sleep.
It might also be the pollution of air, light and sound.
Even staying in bed will most likely not help you ignore that you are part of society. There will be something that reminds you-
which might actually not be that bad.
Walking down the street you will be facing hundreds of different little microcosms and it will be quite tiring as well if you still try to fully concentrate on yourself.
You stand at the metro station and you will realize that you are free to do whatever you want and no one cares. Which might be uplifting for a moment until you realize that you can do whatever you want – and no one cares.
No, it was not builded far from accident,
It suffers not in smiling pomp, nor falls
Under the brow of thrilling discontent,
It fears not policy, that heretic,
That works on leages of short numbered hours,
But all alone stands hugely politic.
Shakespeare
Fact is, that no one actually wants to live in the nature. The rural exodus is going on for centuries now and it is not decreasing. We want to choose when we want to find ourselves and when we just want to blend in and be part of – something. The collective memory and thought are quite wondrous parts of our being here on earth. It can be equally fulfilling to feel as an important part of society as feeling one with nature. Living in thriving communities where ones thoughts are heard, where one has the chance to make an impact and live peacefully in diversity is a goal that can only be reached in places with a bigger population. Unfortunately this equals living without nature most of the times.
That is what makes us sad and depressed. The eye can be healthy without a horizon but not without beautiful things to look at and to dwell upon. We do enjoy walking through cities that kept the look of their organic grow through the centuries. We even travel around the world to visit them and have a look! Just as we travel to remote places to enjoy the view at the sea or from the top of a mountain.
Let the cities become more beautiful! Let there be street art and affordable living, plants and trees to have some green to rest your eyes on. Be part of a creative community that takes care of each other and create equality in education. Exhaust all possibilities to make the place where you live a place where you want to live.
Where would you rather live?
Edit. Pictures are as always my own, taken from my notebook.