Keeping a sense of wonder

A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good fairy, who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from sources of our strength. - Rachel Carson *


Early this morning my 9 year old son and I got up way before dawn to gaze at a bright moon in the sky and then watch NASA's live feed of the LCROSS Lunar mission as it delivered its payload into the Cabeous Crater.

I could feel his heart beat faster as the moon came closer and closer on the screen. This morning, he can't stop telling everyone about all he witnessed. I remember as a young boy being captured by the adventures of Jacque Cousteau or the Eagle Cap Wilderness we explored each summer. It is those early years of wonder that created in me a deep sense of stewardship and curiosity for the natural world. Call it a sacred romance. Whatever name we give it, it has fueled scientists in their youth to pursue their dreams in adulthood.

Often through life's difficulties we lose this sense of wonder. I find for myself that hours upon hours behind a desk erode away something in me. Some of us keep icons on our desk to remind us of why we chose this career. Nancy has her radio collars from studying river ducks. I have pictures of my favorite rivers. None of these replace experiences with our first love of nature though. This morning reminded me that I need to fuel that sense of wonder. I need to keep going outside, keep looking at the stars.This weekend I plan to spend some time on my favorite river. Partially it is to shed the weeks of office time. Most of all it is to gain back some of that capital called wonder that keeps me going forward.

*Carson, Rachel. The Sense of Wonder. New York: Harper & Row, 1956.

Picture of the Minam River (Eagle Cap Wilderness) used under the creative commons license. flickr Arielamanda