Leanne and the Northern Alligator Lizard

Northern Alligator Lizard - Leanne shows one off
You can dig up a picture of a lizard on a cell phone accessing the internet incredibly fast.  There, too, information can be accessed and digested.  The images can be perused, the stories of others gleaned over, and a virtual experience obtained.  But I have to tell you, all that pales to holding one in your hand.

This is the problem with electronic intelligence.  It enhances intellect but not passion; it builds knowledge but not character.  You can learn a lot from media, but until you have real time with what you are reading about it is all just two-dimensional living.  Life comes from interacting with the world, with all its beauty and ugliness combined.  You can think that lizards are neat, but if you have never held one what do you really know?  It is possible that you can describe the classification of the Northern Alligator Lizard down to genus and species - but do you know what one feels like in your hand? 

The Northern Alligator Lizard is a marvelous beast.  I have caught them in Southern BC and Washington State.  I have seen them sunning themselves on a dry area of soil or sand; I have caught them by lifting up rocks and debris early in the morning, and I have chased them down a gully and wondered at how marvelous they are after finally capturing them.  And every time I have had the opportunity to hold one, I have shared that experience with those around me.  It is a way for me to help others develop true, experiential knowledge about the world they live in. 

In what way do we help or hinder the organisms of this planet?  We can answer that academically from research.  We need more experience and less knowledge if we are to make a difference.  Spend some time in the environment and see the impact that we have.  Recognize that your actions are more than just a statistic to be calculated.  Develop a true sense of the value of the things by fostering real contact.  That is where real passion and character come from.  You may have to turn your phone off for a little while, but that is part of living in three dimensions.

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