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fundamental need to feel connected to the natural world.
The ability to recognize and remember patterns—one event or fact being associated with another—is a basic survival adaptation.
It fulfills a deep and instinctive urge to plug into the rhythms of what is happening around us. It makes us part of something larger and gives us a sense of our place on earth.
“Thanks to the birds, I have never felt cooped up staying at home. So much remains new, so much can be discovered…when watching birds, I feel free.”
What I did not lack was intense curiosity, and I have had that in abundance since childhood.
By disposition, I am an observer. I want to know why things happen. I need to feel the gut kick of strong emotions. I am drawn to see details, patterns, and aberrations that suggest a more interesting truth. I am obsessive and can spend months doing research that I may never use, but to me it is time well spent.
When I try to find the right image and words that capture an emotion, I must beat down clichés and homilies, which are devoid of fresh thought and honest contemplation.
