Reverence Lost

During the recent Perseid meteor shower, visitors to the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park invaded delicate alpine flower meadows and trapped fellow visitors for hours by parking in unauthorized locations. Apparently, for most it was all about the event and the competition for space, not about the magical park they were in. The destruction of wildflowers and other alpine plants could take decades to heal. A trampled flower cannot produce pollen or reseed itself.

What wildflowers? We only wanted to see the meteors, it was dark, you know.

Trail running has become so popular that in many scenic natural areas, runners now skip the permit process, which is designed to protect the unique environment, and simply race as fast as possible through amazing regions such as The Enchantments in Washington State.

Ran the whole thing in six hours. How long did it take you?

In Yellowstone National Park, so many people are taking selfies with wildlife that rangers had to issue a special warning to alert these crazies to the dangers of approaching wild animals. Visitors have been gored by bison, and elk calves have had to be euthanized after visitors separated babies from the herd.

I was only trying to pet that buffalo; why did it do that?

I recently had lunch with a tour guide from Rome, who told me that masses of tourists now line up to take selfies in iconic locations. She said that they are not interested in history or culture or experiencing any aspect of the Italian way of life. They want only the photos of themselves in front of as many landmarks as they can visit. It’s gotten so bad that the city of Portofino, Italy, has now instituted a fine for tourists who occupy spots for too long while taking selfies.

Me, in front of the Coliseum. And here I’m sitting on the Trevi Fountain. I tried to get in it, but there was this really mean cop. This is me in front of some famous cathedral; I can’t remember which one.

When I was in Iceland a few years ago, my group was oohing and aahing over all the incredible waterfalls. (The country should really be named Fossland, because foss means waterfall and the dramatic cascades are everywhere.) We’d walk and explore and hike. But we were frequently elbowed out of the way by groups wanting to take selfies of themselves against those backdrops or fly drones to capture their own videos to upload. Our tour guide pointed out to one Asian visitor the sign that read “No Drones,” about 10 yards away. The guy said, “Yes, but I’m not over there. I’m here. And there is no sign here.” These groups stayed only minutes; just long enough for each individual to take that selfie.

My hair looks good, even though the wind blows so hard in Iceland.

I’ve now heard several children say that they want to grow up to be “an influencer.” Really? Have they lost the ability to care about anything but themselves and how many followers they can attract? These individuals are all about posting online and checking off a place or experience from their “cool” list. Without the selfie, would they even remember being there? And what the heck do they do with all these pictures of themselves? Are they their own heroes? Do kids have posters of themselves in their rooms?

How can I get more people to follow me?

Personally, I find all of this very disturbing. These people may gain followers online but they seem to have lost so much in real life: a sense of wonder and respect about the natural world and the creatures we share it with; a curiosity about history and how the world works; a reverence for life itself.

Who needs nature? It’s much faster to look at all that stuff on Instagram or TikTok.

I hope that I can always infuse my writing with my reverence for the natural world by fully describing adventures (awesome or terrifying) in wilderness, observing and communing with wildlife (amazing or frightening) whenever I can, and appreciating each place (remarkable or horrifying) I encounter. I want my life to take place in real time and be as sensory as possible. Not just in an account on a computer or cell phone screen. And I certainly hope the readers of my Sam Westin series feel the same. I’m currently working on the 7th book in the series.