We Need the Tonic of Nature

Absolutely nothing is more cathartic than a primal scream. Pent up anger and frustration wishes away to leave behind a still calm. However, there are some environments unfit for a blood curdling scream; for example, school! Has that ever stopped me? No. It’s genuinely worrying that not a single adult or student on the premises finds it alarming to hear a scream echoing out a random side door or gym exit. 

While a brief yowp during the school day is fun, nothing compares to my front yard at night. The expansive view of the Hudson Valley  stretches across the horizon. Mount Beacon stands imperiously tall against the midnight blue sky while the whooshing Hudson blends into the Newburgh waterfront. Even closer is the open field in front of my house, filled with sleeping deer. It’s everything I want after a long day at school. 

After considering David Thoreau’s ideas of wild nature and freedom, I find myself in disagreement. As Freedman put it, I find myself indifferently coexisting with nature. While I am impacted by weather, it doesn’t hold the same emotional significance to me as it does for others. For example, seasonal depression. I don’t see myself as susceptible to the strain of weather on my general outlook compared to others. Then again, I live in a moderate climate. The seasons shift, but without extremes. I probably would agree with Thoreau if I lived in a region with extreme seasons of climate and light hours.