Appreciating (the) Land
- Zoe Lim
- Jun 23, 2021
- 2 min read
The article sets me thinking about how much our lives are undeniably influenced by the land on which we were born on and raised upon. Since the beginning of time, we have been willing to use violence and threats to guard our land fiercely. Wars have been waged and millions of lives lost to defend our home. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" is a familiar quote that reminds us that we will eventually return to the land when our time is up. Yet, we spend way too little time appreciating the land we are on and way too much time on how much our property has appreciated.
Throughout the ages, the land has been unchanging and faithful. Ranging from agricultural industries to generating hydroelectricity from rivers, from providing us with oil and minerals to providing us with enough sand and water to build concrete shelter, the land has been and will always sustain us. The land also plays a crucial role in supporting our health and mental well-being. The magic found in nature will always captivate mankind. We tend to flock into nature to unwind. The vastness of the ocean, the forest and land always brings me unexplainable peace and joy.
The land also shapes our cultural and social identity. Our way of living (and thinking) is deeply influenced by what we have around us. History has taught us that. Communities tend to thrive and prosper when they live by the river , as compared to counterparts who live on landlocked plots of land. Similarly, countries that sit on reservoirs of natural resources will have an advantage. The world views, the beliefs, the diet and lifestyle differ from land to land. Wherever we are, we relentlessly seek and find others who are similar to satisfy our basic human need to have a sense of belonging. Communities start to grow, thus forming the social fabric of the land we live in today.
Let's peel away the buildings and structures to make time to appreciate the land for itself.
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