The Folly of Man


Today is the day after a Nor’Easter. A minor one, but annoying none the less. It dropped about 3-4 inches of snow/sleet that proceeded to freeze because of the dropping temperature.

Last evening I spent an hour and a half clearing my driveway and cleaning off my car so that it would not hinder me leaving this morning. Thankfully, all I had to do was warm up my car when I woke up this morning. Unfortunately, when I tried to use the windsheild wipers they did not move. Thinking that it was just some ice gunking up the works, I spent another 10 minutes trying to clear it out. No go. So I am here now waiting for it to be worked on at the mechanic. Good times.

On the way from the train station (where I drop off my wife everyday) to the mechanic, while I was stewing in the anger of the wipers not working, I couldn’t help looking at the condition of the scenery. The snow pushed off to the side of the highway by the snowplows, the dirty color of the snow from it’s mixing with the sand that is spread to help with traction, the condition of all the cars on the road….salt stained and somewhat covered with snow/ice that their owners didn’t have time or want to remove. That is when it dawned on me…..since the first monkeys began using tools of some sort, man stopped changing to adapt to the environment and started changing the environment to adapt to man. Some might say that for those that feel man came from monkey (or still is) this is common knowledge….but it is the moment of realization that was important. It’s like when you sort of ‘step outside yourself’ and see your life as if looking through different eyes. It can be liberating.

It makes you think though. How far can man truly push his environment until it begins to push back. How far will Mother Nature let man go before it decides that man no longer serves a purpose.

It puts the idea of my own humanity into perspective and makes me feel even less significant than I already am.

Now the thing is, do I let this destroy me or do I let this embolden me.

Am I making any sense or am I just rambling, following the many threads of my own thoughts?

edit: spelling and clarity

  1. #1 by Hallie on February 15, 2007 12:41 pm - 12:41 pm

    Wow..that was pretty profound…

  2. #2 by Weesa on February 15, 2007 1:48 pm - 1:48 pm

    Quite profound indeed. Wow….

  3. #3 by Zoomy on February 15, 2007 7:03 pm - 7:03 pm

    with the temperature and what not, I would probably destroy me lol

  4. #4 by Onemanconga on February 18, 2007 8:54 pm - 8:54 pm

    Mother Nature is a recurring character on the Smurfs.

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