"Hoerst Du die Grillen Zirpen?" ("Do you hear the crickets?") It was a question often asked of me as a child, as we took an evening stroll along the water's edge at the newly opend "Landfill Park" (Humber Bay East ), or camped at one of Ontario's many campgrounds. My mother and Omi, both being rather heavily into the nature of things, were keenly aware of the natural world around them, and would frequently comment on the growth of some plant, or the sound of some creature great or small in the vicintiy, or marvel aloud at the cloud formations or the colour of the sky or the sound of the wind in the trees.
To me, such observations were not remarkable. These audio tracks played constantly in the background of my daily life. And yet, as an adult, I am suddenly aware of their impact on me as an observer of the world around me. My family's accuity with nature is reflected in my own interactions with my surroundings.
Last night we biked home along the Lake, past some tall grasses and noisy, chirping crickets. And in my mind, I heard my mother's voice: "Hoerst Du die Grillen Zirpen?"
To me, such observations were not remarkable. These audio tracks played constantly in the background of my daily life. And yet, as an adult, I am suddenly aware of their impact on me as an observer of the world around me. My family's accuity with nature is reflected in my own interactions with my surroundings.
Last night we biked home along the Lake, past some tall grasses and noisy, chirping crickets. And in my mind, I heard my mother's voice: "Hoerst Du die Grillen Zirpen?"
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