John Muir, who was, and still is, often referred to as the father of national parks, always had a love of nature and all of the simple yet beautiful things that it offers. Born in Scotland in the mid 1800’s, John Muir had a passion for the wilderness. This passion inspired him to move to America later in his life in order to explore the country, including the Pacific Northwest. He was many things, including a writer, scientist, spokesman, naturalist, philosopher, and geologist. In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, Muir was an early advocate for the preservation of natural places such as Yosemite Valley, which he loved so much that he lived there for a number of years. While living in Yosemite Valley, he was so inspired that he wrote about his …show more content…
Because of his valiant work in the environmental field, his name was honored by the use of it in the names of a college, camp, trail, monument, beach, and several other locations. What I really appreciate about Muir is even though he lived in a different time, his words are timeless. He believed that everything is connected to nature, and that exploring it could provide clarity and joy. He believed that embracing nature is one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences a person could have. Because of his timeless messages, there were many quotes from Muir that I related to. However the one that I chose to discuss is one in which he says, “thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” This quote resonated with me because of how, no matter the time period, people will always need an escape. Even though the reasons for that escape may change, nature seems to always be able to restore what people have …show more content…
While I have always believed that in order to achieve pure joy and contentment you need to experience nature in its purest form, Muir has confirmed that idea. In John Muir’s time, there were less intense distractions, but in today’s world we have many more distractions that numb the feeling of adventure that we once had. Instead of having that desire of exploration, we waste our time watching TV or looking at our phones. There are even times where people may not step foot outside their door for an entire day or more. We have become such a watered down version of the explorers we once were, settling for the travel channel rather than actual travel. People have taken advantage of the wonders of nature for so long that even if someone went out to explore, it’s no longer to feel the joy of it, rather to capture it on camera and move on. Many times people don’t truly experience nature with their own eyes because they are too focused on seeing it through the camera on their phone, or posting it online. John Muir has inspired me to look at the world the way that he was lucky enough to, and to encourage others to as well. Maybe then, after the filter of the lens is taken away, we can get back to how we once