It’s supposed to be
pockets of human beings,
not pockets of the whole of nature!
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I speak from the heart on this. My wife and i do not have any children. I love kids and had worked for my career as a teacher for the multiply handicapped, but this planet has way more than its share of humans. In the past, i have lost a number of girlfriends because of my stance on this. It is very interesting (and tragic) that this most vital subject — that directly impacts the whole earth and all of its creatures including man — is mostly neglected (and not seriously considered) worldwide.
In too limited of a space… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Absolutely agree.
I know, Darren, that you folks didn’t have kids either; good on you! 🙂
Have you seen or read Handmaiden Tales?
No. I mostly, these days, just read things on science, like stuff on prehistoric life and physics. 🙂
Oh how right you are – and perfectly said in your poem. 🙂
Exactly! I sure wish that more people would perceive for the whole more! 🙂
I prefer spending time with children that not ours. We have been doing a family thing with children and grandchildren in Houston & Galveston — way too wild. Plus, don’t talk to them about nature. Love your poem and statement of belief.
Thank you much, Ken! 🙂 Now that we are older, there are no children to take care of us, but that is OK. These days, anyway, they usually don’t live in the same area anyway.
I see what is going on with relatives’ kids (major problems) and it’s not pretty. People need to see the value of living with deep order.
I take a less species-specific point of view.
There are countless examples of proliferation of species.
To us, the swarm of locusts means economic loss and starvation, but for the locusts, it is a bountiful feast.
Good for the locusts, maybe not for the wheat.
Our tiny, unique rock has created many species that will grow in population to the point of bursting. Overwhelming their environments. Corrections come in forms we do not recognize as healthy nature, such as starvation and disease decimating these populations.
There is a yin and yan, there is a natural order and balance.
The order and balance includes growth as well as chaos and destruction, and this law is applied across our great cosmos to the living and non-living alike.
Perhaps we wouldn’t prefer to be the maggots on the rotting corpse, the cockroaches under the cupboards, the lemmings marching into the sea.
Alas, sprung into the world as this species, I have no choice in the matter.
Seek peace,
Paz
Yes, i understand. Man, however, is often using synthetic, manmade means for survival; such means leads to saturating the entire environment with artificial crap that decimates nature as a whole (i.e, the balanced environment). We need to wake up more and take only our fair share (and return to using more natural means). 🙂
I totally agree with you Tom. Neither of my two sisters nor I have children because of our belief that our planet has reached its maximum carrying capacity. We all three have helped support numerous children who were brought into the world by parents who either couldn’t or wouldn’t follow through with their parental responsibilities.
On the other hand, as a human rights activist, I disagree with government-imposed limits on family size. This topic is highly charged emotionally and very culturally sensitive. I’ve lived in half a dozen developing countries where the locals view having children as their reason for being alive. What we do need, however, are education programs that help prospective parents make wise, informed decisions about bringing more children into the world.
What a deep outlook you (and your sisters) have in this regard! 🙂 So good that you have helped children that are not biologically yours! Yes, i too feel that education is a key factor.
We need to think more about the whole and less about me, me, me.
I agree, our species is way overpopulated. But most population booms are followed by a bottlenecking event.
Couldn’t agree more Tom, powerful stated.
I’m not surprised, Paul, that you feel that way! 🙂 Sure wish more people did! One thing is for sure. There is an intelligence that loves the whole much more than illusion and indifference. That immense intelligence is universal and transcends space and time.
Sure does, sure does.
Your reference to an intelligence that transcends space and time is probably the same one that will decide that man is not good for this planet and is only creating harm. It would be interesting to see how it manipulates man into destroying himself. Great blog and I really like the detail on the frog (or toad).
Thanks much, Francis! 🙂 Well, i appreciate where you are coming from, on this, but i truly feel that that immensity, for the most part, does not interfere (i.e., pull any strings) with regard to anything that takes place on this planet (or any other planet, for that matter). It isn’t petty enough to engage in “string-pulling” and it didn’t create all this so is not, in any way, responsible. It doesn’t interfere with the natural order of things, and if man deviates from that order and natural balance… then man will suffer the consequences by his own hand. We need to realize that we a just a small part of the whole and not something that is central and super-special that everything revolves around and caters to.
Good that you found a wife that agrees with you, Thomas, regards Mitza
Yes, thanks Mitza! 🙂 She’s having a very tough time now with scoliosis of the spine and sciatica problems; she may have to have complicated surgery. She already had extensive surgery on her neck and now is permanently unable to eat, needing to get nutrition via a gastrostomy tube. Nothing like health issues when you are getting older!
I‘m so sorry to hear that. My grandaunt always said: getting old is cruel, but I didn’t understand it when I was young. Now I do, too. Kind regards to your wife, Mitza
Thanks, Mitza! 🙂 Getting older certainly isn’t for sissies.
Humans have ignored and/or tampered with so many checks and balances in the natural world. We are just one piece of the puzzle and could do so much more to apply our intellectual capacities for the benefit of all inhabitants of Earth.
Yes, like i mentioned to Francis, Sandy, we need to realize that we a just a small part of the whole and not something that is central and super-special that everything revolves around and caters to. Too many species are dying worldwide, and the wildfires and hurricanes are getting more and more devastating. We need to wake up!
Agreed.
My husband and I (no children), take the idea of too many people very seriously. Americans use too many resources and are especially wasteful. Education is clearly a key thing in reducing family size, as are empowering women and reducing the influence of religion.
Wonderful to read, Eilene! 🙂 The world needs more people like you!… :)… Tee-hee! Yes, far too many resources are used by people (such as diesel-spewing fossil fuel jets to often go vacationing, and homes way bigger than need be, to show-off). Education truly is a big factor, but it takes mindful educators (of which there are way too few)!
Nice photo of the frog on the leaf – he has parts of his skin that blend in with the leaf. I never had siblings and I don’t have any kids. I have never even spent time with kids. I am a good candidate for not overpopulating the earth. 🙂
Good for you, Linda! 🙂 Being alone can be a real blessing. You wouldn’t believe the stuff i am hearing lately about my in-laws that have so-called adult kids… total insanity! Unbelievable!
And today’s world is nowhere to raise children – I don’t know why people would want kids in this day and age. And the kids these days are not like we were either. I know that once upon a time I swore I would never make a statement like that.
Yes, today’s sicker than sick world is no place for children. They deserve way better! … far better!
I’ve read that amphibians (and dragonflies too) are important bioindicators to environmental health and pollution, so I thought it apt that you included the frog/toad photo with this post. Thank you!
Yes, it’s a toad and toads are a bit tougher than frogs (overall). We live in a relatively rural area, but, still, the poor wildlife does not have near enough free-range and unrestricted freedom. We humans are taking way more than our fair share. Too bad there aren’t lawyers for wildlife!
Agreed. I was completely unaware when having my 2 in the 70s … but havezero remorse that both of them are adamant NO grandkids for me. I do notfeel deprived – I feel proud of them for a greater awareness. It takes time for awareness to materialize, spread.