hunting for insects, reflecting on philosophy.

the breeze softly chills my sunkissed cheeks as i inhale the smell of the lush garden flourishing around me. plants of tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkins, squash, artichokes and carrots cradle their offspring, hidden amongst leaves and twisted vines, small confirmations of the vegetation's livelihood. sophia runs over to a giant green globe boasting leaves like enormous green hands, fingers plump and spread wide. "look at this one! what do you think it is?" i smile, the answer seeming so obvious to me "i think it's a pumpkin! what do you think it is?" sophia inspects the gourd, sizing it up, its girth twice the size of her head. "well, i think it might be a pumpkin, but i guess we'll have to wait and see when it's done growing."

i sat in class, half attentive, half watching the lengthy arms of the clock chase one another in endless rivalry. the discussion was philosophical of nature. as well as theological. for some reason my day dreaming ceased with the introduction of david hume. i sat up, interest swelling in my eyes. an 18th century scottsman and avid empiricist, hume followed the mindset of locke, arguing tabula rasa and the limits of our reason. he sought to determine the source of knowledge and concluded that as humans we gain knowledge not merely from reason alone, rather from a series of experiences, of habits, customs, all followed by reason. without a series of experiences, we would have nothing to reason about.

experience. touching the earth, feeling its weight, its texture, consistency. watching the leaves on a tree adjust their hues to match the coming season. witnessing a pumpkin grow, and learning that something the size of a finger nail can transform into a small green sphere, and ultimately a portly orange jack-o-lantern. with experience we are able to learn from the world around us in colorful, tangible ways.

"let's hunt for bugs! doesn't that sound fun?" sophia jumped so close to me she nearly knocked me backwards, her face inches from mine and beaming with excitement. "sure! where should we look for them?" "in the garden and under rocks." sophia stated matter of factly. collecting bugs and watching them through magnified cages is a frequent pastime for sophia and her little brother kai. her love for bugs has even extended into learning the proper names of each little creeping critter, as well as creating small homes for each bug to live comfortably in a natural environment until she releases them back into the wild. although sophia has learned a copious amount of information about insects, her joy and curiosity have yet to dwindle. her excitement is refreshing, inspiring even. her experiences with the world around her have not jaded her, they have not squandered her innocence. although sophia still doubts that the large green gourd will eventually become the orange pumpkin she is familiar with, this experience of watching something grow will lead to better understanding with each passing season. to see the world through the eyes of child, contemplating the identity of growing vegetables and fruits, standing amazed at the miniature creatures that dwell under rocks and branches, excited and curious about nature and the world we live in. what a remarkable scene to witness. what a beautiful illustration of humanity.

scenes from our insect hunting adventures:

a home for our friends.

sophia's pill bug.

kai checking out the insect maze (a maze for insects!?)

more homes.

serious hunting stance.

sophia's soap/water/flower experiment.

creating our own insects.

a beautiful rock butterfly.

embrace life through the eyes of a child. go outside. feel the soft dirt slip between your fingers. stand in awe of the life that bursts forth around you.