Catherine Greenfield-- Of Matramony-- In relation to The Unsettling of America

"Neither nature nor people alone can produce human sustenance, but only the two together, culturally wedded" p.9 Unsettling of America

I feel that it is indeed important to think of our relationship with the natural world as being similar to our relationships with other people. In a healthy relationship, there is give and take. There is love in relationsips that lead to anything even remotely similar to being "wedded." To be "wedded" to nature, then, we must be patent and kind, we must not pass judgement on it, we must treat it as we want to be treated. If we truly love ourselves, we must love that which has made us; our God, and our planet. Here's how I see it: God made the earth. The earth popped up some little life forms. The life forms said, "Oh, hi! We want to be sentient, now!" And they were. And God thought that was pretty neat, so he let them get a little cuter (or a little less cute, maybe), and then he gave some of them thumbs. And the rest, as they say, is history. Or, maybe you want to call it mythology, reader. Well, I won't stop you-- it takes all kinds. Anyway, let's think of it like this-- do you love God, if you are religious? Yes. Will you serve Him (or her? Or them)? Yes. Will you do your best to treat others, brothers under the same son, and from the same God, with kindness, civility, and care? Yes. Well, what about the earth? Will you deny your mother, your sister, your earthy, leafy kin the same kindness, civility, and love? Why not treat it the way YOU want to be treated? I don't know about you, but if I had a bunch of little pipsqueeks pouring gallons and gallons of oil into MY mouth every second of every day, and filling my pretty green hair with garbage, and strangling my pet ducks... well, I'd send tornadoes and hailstorms, too.
Okay, I went off topic. If you can't tell by now, I tend to do that a lot. But my point is this: you show your family and your lovers and your friends and your God many forms of love and care. Why not the earth under your feet? After all... it's probably even more alive than even YOU are.

(P.S..... I couldn't make the italics go away. Sorry...)