Shelby Farms

Last week in class, we talked about Stegner’s Wilderness Letter, in which Stegner argues for the preservation of the natural world. Many quotes from this letter have really stuck with me, and I have been thinking a lot about them during the past week. I wholeheartedly agree with much of what Stegner presents in his letter. He asserts that without the natural world, there is no chance for “reflection and rest.” Last week in Fort Worth, the weather was horrible – it was cold and rainy and miserable to walk the short ten minutes to class each day. I am someone who tries to do something outside every day. I run in the morning a few days during the week and like to go for walks in the afternoon if I have the time. However, the weather last week prohibited my scheduled outdoor time. I know my high school cross country coach would laugh at me and say that my skin is waterproof. However, I truly hate cold weather, and I despise being cold AND wet. 

When I was driving home for Thanksgiving break, I was relieved to see that the weather at home was going to be perfect – sunny and 60° for a few days. I mentally started making a checklist in my head of all the things I wanted to do during the week, which I knew was going to flash by in the blink of an eye like it always does. At the top of my list was to go to Shelby Farms, a big park on the outskirts of the city. I spent a lot of time here growing up. My mom would take my brothers and I to play at the park when we were younger, and I had cross country practice and meets here as well. This time last year, I was training for a marathon and remember my dad run/walking and going to pick up Chick-fil-A for me as I trudged along the trail on my 15 mile run. This year, I didn’t have to worry about training for a race, so when I went to Shelby Farms, I walked a little, ran a little, but spent the majority of the time just wandering around. One trail had a variety of trees planted and labeled with their different names, a new edition since the last time I had been there. I saw a ton of animals during my time, at least three different groups of deer, a bunch of different birds, and even a little bunny. 

It made my heart happy to see so many other people outside too. While it seems like our society is obsessed with industrialization and technological advancement, there must be a few sane people left in the Parks and Recreation department who make sure that places like Shelby Farms continue to exist. Stegner boldly claims that “One means of sanity is to retain a hold on the natural world.” I think that the other people outside enjoying the park would agree with this statement. Being outside brings comfort and tranquility that cannot be found anywhere else. Those few days last week where I was trapped inside made me feel like I was going a little bit crazy. As Stegner also points out, we are not meant to live the way that we do. While our societal advances have brought increased comforts, these comforts have come at a cost. Stegner argues that we have tried to domesticate ourselves. However, preserving the natural world helps us to maintain the mental clarity that can only be achieved through nature.