As I was watching Disney's Earth last night, I realized just how deep nature can touch me.. Best told by Walt himself, 'there is no greater show or cartoon that we could create that would parallel with the comedy, drama and stories told in nature.' It fascinates me to discover unique things I never knew existed somewhere beyond where I live and how I perceive this world. Just think , right now, somewhere in Africa, a cheetah may be chasing its prey at 70 mph; ready to devour. A bird may be doing everything in it's power to show off its awe inspiring beauty and flare, yet not impress even the most simple of birds. I, on the other hand, was astounded by its show (above).
The polar bear bit of the movie was what hit me the hardest. I felt sad and useless as James Earl Jones broke down to me just how hard it is for these bears to merely survive. Polar bears hibernate in the Arctic all winter long and come out in spring, weighing half what they did before, and starving. More often than not, the mothers hibernate longer and come spring, poke their heads out with new born cubs. After their hibernation, they set out in search of food. The steps out of the den are the first the cubs have taken which begins an incredible adventure. The father bear has set out before his mate and cubs in search of food in the sea. At first it was mostly frozen,but due to our Earth's temperature warming, the snow started to melt. The papa bear was stranded in the middle of sea forced to swim for days back to land in order to find food (that he hadn't enjoyed for months). He swam and swam and had no luck. He swam for days and finally reached shore where the only sign of food appeared to be gigantic walruses'. The bear had lost half of his weight and was exhausted, but attempted to attack a walrus, whose tusks are as dangerous as a ninja with a sword. His attempts failed and he was forced to lay down and let go. This scene saddened me so deeply and I was at a loss for how to express what I felt; until James Earl Jones put it all back into perspective and said, "some times these harsh realities are hard to understand, but at other times Earth can be sheer paradise." He hit that nail on the head.
And today, as I was listening to Badmarsh and Shri on the way to work I came across an unusual scene. Being from the Midwest, whose animals all seem so familiar and tired, an armadillo on the side of the road might has well been an alien from Ork. But this being business as usual for Texans forced whomever hit this poor creature to not give it a second thought. This parallels a squirrel or coon road kill I suppose. But why, this being my first Dillo sighting, did it have to be in this shape? It saddened me a bit, but at the same time set me off in a mood for the day that felt utterly connected and in union with nature outside of my world. I can't explain it as well as Jones, but I can now accept the animal kingdom's reality is as harsh as ours. Their species come and go, the food chain morphs everyday, and new adventures will unfold tomorrow. In a new life, I would be a nature photographer or advocate for the WWF; touring around the world in hopes of protecting these amazing creatures, and ensuring they will see brighter tomorrows. But underneath my hopes for them is what is known as the circle of life; and no matter what, it will take place!
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