Nature is beautiful.

From a distance, say from behind the picture window or from a parkway overlook, one can behold the grandeur of God and in summertime feel the warmth of unseen guardian spirits hovering in the ether. You can dream of life in a landscape where there are no great floods or forest fires. You can imagine a land where snakes don't strike and mosquitoes don't bite. And that land does exist for the priveleged of this world. It is on the high ground, behind plate glass.

Don’t get me wrong--I love my wimp bubble and would not give it up. The thought of going camping makes my skin crawl. I see no virtue in roughing it if you don’t have to.

On the other hand, I am reminded every time I turn on the news that roughing it, for most? of our 7 billions is not a choice. It is their way of life and their virtue is in just staying alive so they can keep those they love alive. There is mystery of a whole other color in that and I can write about it but I do have a hard time painting it.