My Sense of Place

At first, I thought this class was going to be mainly about the environment and what we can do as a whole to improve it. I had an idea that this class was also going to consist of a decent amount of writing as this course is considered a writing intensive course at Florida Gulf Coast University. 

When I was reading about Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment by Richard Louv, I related enormously to their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD studies for the reason that I have ADHD myself. ADHD is a condition with a persistent pattern of inattention, restlessness, hyperactivity, and/ or impulsiveness. In this reading, studies suggest that “nature may be useful as a therapy” for those with ADHD (Louv 2). I agree completely with that statement as my sense of place is the beach. The beach makes me feel at peace; everything about it from the sound of the waves washing upon the shore, the smell of the salt water, the warmth of the sun on my skin to the soft sand in between my toes helps me not think about my life stresses and live in the moment. Stephen Kaplan confirms this in the journal Monitor on Psychology “If you can find an environment where the attention is automatic, you allow directed attention to rest. And that means an environment that is strong on fascination. The fascination factor associated with nature is restorative, and it helps relieve people from directed-attention fatigue” (Louv 6).

            While reading Woody Allen’s biphobia case on Love it or Lose It: The Coming Biophilia Revolution by David Orr, I noticed, not just people with biophobia, but our society as a whole is relying a lot more on technology and not so much on nature than ever before, especially the upcoming generation. When I was a child, times were a lot simpler back then. I remember coming home from school and playing outside until the sun went down or until the streetlights came on, with no desire to go back in. I was a very active and outdoor loving kid, but now I almost have to make myself go outside from time to time. Orr talks about how “biophilia is a series of choices, the first which has to do with the conduct of childhood and how the child’s imagination is woven into a home place. Practically, the cultivation of biophilia calls for the establishment of more natural places, places of mystery and adventure where children can roam, explore and imagine” (Orr 205). Back then, biophilia could be easily achieved, even though technology was just emerging, we as humans were not making it a priority or a necessity in everyday life, but now that is not the case. Now, we have to push children to go outside since video games, tablets, smartphones, and computers have taken over. The beach give me my sense of place because I feel a strong connection and gratitude for the natural world there; and as Gray Snyder wrote on recovering our sense of place, “it means finding our place and digging in” (Orr 206).

References

Louv, Richard. "Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment." Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2005. 1-14. Print.

Orr, David W. "Love It or Lose It: The Coming Biophilia Revolution." Earth in Mind: On Education,Environment, and the Human Prospect. Washington, DC: Island, 1994. 186-211. Print.

Stephens, Renee. “Aruba Ariba.” 2015. JPEG file.