Big questions for little ones, and getting my head together

posted by Patty James @ 9:27pm, Saturday 30 January 2010.

The question is, 'Do you think the Earth's Health has anything to do with your health?' Many times the answer is no. At first I was surprised, but then I remembered back. I never thought about the Earth's health when I was 6-maybe not so much when I was 16...but now Earth news is everywhere-as well it should be for the adults who have made such a mess of it. Why should a 6 year old wonder about anything having to do with Earth except maybe be little awestruck looking at the stars? They shouldn't wonder if the Earth's health has anything to do with their health. One should be healthy so the other one can be. The concept is too big for the younger kids to grasp and that's o.k. It's sad when so many kids say they're worried about the safety of their water. They don't worry so much about food-but they wonder about water. Again, I never thought about water as a kid-did you? Drink out of a hose, laugh and play. Now our kids worry if they can drink it.

Don't get me wrong, kids need to be taught to respect the Earth, but I am finding that kids have way too much to worry about....

I am thinking about this as I successfully navigate myself out of town-Margaret would be proud! It's Friday afternoon-rush-hour traffic-but I do o.k. I figure it's an a hour and a half to get to Camp Verde and I called the Zane Grey RV camp to reserve a space-a friendly woman answered the phone and said they would be waiting for me-her husband would help me park. Made me smile.

The names of the roads started to change and the exits changed from blacktop to gravel-my personal favorite. Names like: Horse Thief Basin-Badger Springs-Big Bug Valley....The sun was low in the sky and the colors were so beautiful. I tuned off the music and looked out over the red rock country-side and the mesas in the distance. The dessert almost has a magnetic pull-a viseral power to it. I was calming a bit and decided that my out-of-sorts mood was tied in a bit to being in big cities for 10 days and I'm a country girl.

It's dusk now and I know that tonight is a full moon-a Wolf Moon. They call it that when it's a full moon in the winter I'm told. It was so beautiful....I stopped and took a photo. I was smiling now involuntarily.