Response #2
Kristen Zelenka

I love nature and being outside, however I do not know so much about it and I could not survive without the modern conveniences of technology. The only nature I have ever come into contact with is fake nature; nature that has been constructed around where I live. My only real connection to nature is through photography, snapshots of how I perceive the environment but that pales in comparison to individuals who live and work in the natural world. The picture to the right is one of my photos that I took last year. It shows nature being smothered by technology.

I cannot identify many different types of plants nor have I sat outside for hours watching animal behavior. However, I need this presence of nature in my life otherwise the world would be too geometric and harsh. I would not want to live in a gray, bleak concrete setting. I do like being outside and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. I also love hearing the rolling thunder of storms or sitting in the shade under an old tree reading a book. I need these natural influences in order to be happy. Conserving nature is important and I fully understand that technology should be kept in check and not overrun what nature we have left. My small contribution to help conserve the environment and animals is to eat vegetarian.

Despite these basic adorations of nature, there is no way I would be able to function without technology. I would not have been able to survive a few centuries ago, without the advancement of medicine, because everyday I have to take medicine because I am allergic to trees and if I don’t I get very sick. Also, the first time that I saw the leaves on trees when I was five because that was when I got my first pair of glasses and I am very near sighted. Beyond this, technology has shaped my daily lifestyle. I am hardwired to my laptop and cell phone. Each day I use them to complete most of my daily activities, talking to friends, as a source of entertainment, and even to read the news instead of a newspaper. All of my communication needs can be done on these two devices. There are aspects of nature that I love, but I would not be able to continue my current lifestyle without technology.