Norton Reflections

Dylan said “the times they are a’changin,” but have they changed that much? I get the sense Thoreau felt some of the same daily pressures we feel, and is surrounded by similar distractions. He recognizes that the theatre, post office, and travel remove us from our place. Even though he didn’t write about cell phones, television, or Facebook, I feel the same sentiment. “Foolish people imagine that what they imagine is somewhere else. That stuff is not made in any factory but their own.” I think we all feel this way at some point in our lives, especially during the teenage years. I often hear, “This town sucks,” but ironically I’ve also hear that from teenagers in Chicago. It takes time to realize the importance of place. I don’t have a strong connection to my birthplace of Hartford City, but I do have a strong connection to the town in which I now live. I’ve wondered if it’s because I’ve begun to appreciate “place.” As a teenager Hartford City is the town that “sucked”. North Manchester has become my home because I recognize my role in the community. Yes, I long to see new places, but I no longer “imagine somewhere else.”

This was my first introduction to Charles Kingsley. Often students will ask me, “why are there mosquitoes?” They usually then follow with, “we don’t need mosquitoes!” The interconnectedness of environmental science strikes again!