Over the last year, a question has been stirring over and over in my mind.
I hear it echoing every time I’m out in nature. I’ve talked about it with almost everyone I’ve gone on a walk with but was still having trouble reaching the depth of the thought.
It took writing an entire brainstorm of an incoherent blog post that I scrapped until I finally found what I was looking for.
“What was it like in nature before I knew the distinct sounds and sights of birds?”
Journey to the question
I’ve always been an outdoorsy type of person. Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved nature and no matter what stage of my life or where I found myself, I always sought out nature.
In Aurora, I used to drive out to a quarry in Big Rock and explore. I have such treasured memory of taking my dog on walks there with my father a”h. In Israel, I loved exploring the forests of Jerusalem and going on hikes that started mountainous but somehow led you down into a lush hidden forest valley with a waterfall oasis.
In Chicago, I’ve spent the last eight years exploring different nature preserves (Caldwell Woods, Harms Woods, West Ridge Nature Park, Chevalier Woods) and am always on the lookout for new experiences. My most recent was a bat walk at West Ridge Nature Park a few weeks ago.
Four years ago, I went on a bird walk that sent me down the rabbit hole. It sparked my curiosity and I began studying and exploring birds ever since. I can now hear a call or chirp and identify most birds of the region and am pretty decent at identifying birds by sight, even after just a glance.
Now, it’s hard for me to remember what it was like on walks before they were infused with knowledge of birds. Did I just hear a bird and think, “Beautiful nature sounds.” I honestly can’t remember what it was like, but I do know that I connect to nature now on a deeper level. That thought led me to a composition notebook sitting on my bookshelf right next to my desk.
A Scorpio’s journey
A few years ago I was going through a very challenging time. Around that time, I was speaking with a friend who had recently gotten into astrology. She asked for my birthdate, time and location to look up my chart. Then she started freaking out.
Apparently, my chart consisted of a high amount of Scorpio sign which is already an intense sign to begin with. She told me about a kosher astrologer she went to in Tzfat years ago and said I should get a reading.
I wasn’t so into it, but I have to admit that I was both very down in life and very intrigued so I took a chance.
The reading was so much more normal than I imagined it would be. She talked about astrology’s basis in Judaism and went through each of my twelve houses. She talked about some of my potential innate traits or experiences I might be inclined toward.
Some highlights:
- A big part of my Scorpio energy is to come to understanding the depth of the world and to move towards healing from pain.
- I seek out the depth in everything (relationships, spirituality, hobbies)
- I need openness: open sky, open nature, openness in people. Part of my nature is being in nature and taking care of nature through conservation.
- I have a strong teacher energy pushing me to learn something to its core and be able to share it to inspire others.
- Three concepts that seemed to shine through my reading are: Purpose, depth and connection.
Even though I am getting more experienced as a bird watcher, I am humbled when I meet people who have been birding for 30+ years. I so appreciate their mastery and after working towards that, I see how much work and experience it takes.
Same journey, new realities
I asked my husband to read the first version of this blog post which was basically a brain dump of ideas related to bird watching and possible inspiration. He challenged me to really think about the takeaway message and I’m so appreciative. He also, in passing, said something which was like a eureka moment to me.
“Once you learn something it can change your reality. Think about how your experience at Caldwell Woods then and now – it’s totally different.”
YES! That is the exact thought that was on the tip of my brain this entire time!
My experience walking through nature now has changed and evolved because I’m looking at it through a new lens. It’s almost as if I’m experiencing my walks on another frequency now that I’m tapped into the nuance of nature. I see the abundance of nature and my hope is that it will help me connect to the abundance of blessing in my life.
As a part of this journey, I learned how important it is to me to get to the depth in order to truly connect and grow. Bird watching is just one of the ways in which I am challenged to do that. Spending the time and energy in uncovering the depths of nature helps me move closer to fulfilling my purpose in the world and connecting in a deeper way. I’m a way better Ima, wife, sister, daughter and friend when my nature cup is full.
Sharing the journey
In working on myself and letting go of control, one of my life lessons was to go with the flow. As I’ve worked on that, I’ve now been building on it and leaning into the idea of feeling the direction that Hashem (G-d) wants me to go.
Recently I went on two walks with two separate friends. One enjoyed learning about birds so much that she downloaded the Merlin app and I noticed her on another walk with binoculars. My other friend mentioned to me how much she loves it when she comes out to nature and that it inspired her to make that more of a priority.
That is where bird watching transcends from just a hobby to life work: inspiring others to connect with nature in their own, unique way. Purpose, depth, and connection.
I recently started spreading my wings by leading local bird walks at Park 538 and this was my third summer facilitating a kids’ butterfly club. Getting texts from friends with either sounds or pictures of birds for me to identify is always a fun game for me.
I realize that the reason that teaching about nature is so important and special to me is because this must be part of my life mission that I’m being pushed toward. Maybe that’s the reason that this question was chirping around in my brain. It takes work and motivation to get to the depth, but when you are there the reward is the peace felt by reaching toward your potential. That inspiration is what I hope to find in the depths of my journey and hopefully share with others along the way.
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