Surely You Agree We Can Do Without Her?

Nature bothers me. I love nature. I enjoy being outdoors, seeing the view, smelling the fresh scents. I simply prefer, to the bafflement of my wife and peers, a sheet of glass between me, my warm coffee beverage, and solid oak furniture between me and the actual... you know... green stuff.

We went blueberry picking last week, and it was great fun. The kids loved it. We got a ton of fresh produce, and the kids got a lot of outside time. I try to spend as much time outside as I can, for the sake of the children. It's important to them, and their development. But I can't say I always like it. A part of me, maybe the part that grew up surrounded by more nature than coffee shops, really loves to spend time downtown, walking sidewalks and looking at buildings. I don't like the ugliness of our cities, I admit. They could be nicer. But I often wish for nicer buildings rather than more trees. I think my friends mostly wish for fewer buildings. It's a strange difference, but there it is. J dreams of fields of produce and trees, and I dream of fields from the view of a nice, environmentally built home downtown.

Don't get me wrong: I want to make more parks, save the greenspace. I know how important it is, to life and health of the planet. I'm not an anti-nature nutcase. I just don't need to be there. I support turning the entire country from Idaho to Maryland into a wildlife preserve, actually. (Congress? Get on that!) I just don't need to be there. Not every day. I really don't want to live there. An occasional visit, a trip with the kids, that would be lovely. Everyone will enjoy the unspoiled beauty, then I can pack up and go home to my dining room table, drinking tea. I'll be content that nature is out there, doing all right by herself.

Arkaedi and I spent the morning in Fremont, visiting the Flying Apron (Vegan!) Bakery, and it was perfect. I had a nice cup of coffee, Arkaedi watched people. It was lovely. She probably would have preferred a river, and some fields. I was content to sit on a sidewalk. I'm odd that way.