And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
That is the earth, he thought. Not a globe thousands of kilometers around, but a forest with a shining lake, a house hidden at the crest of a hill, high in the trees, a grassy slope leading upwards from the water, fish leaping and birds strafing to take the bugs that lived at the border between water and sky. Earth was the constant noise of crickets, and winds, and birds
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote encapsulates the beauty and interconnectedness of nature, emphasizing its vivid details and life forms.
In this quote, Orson Scott Card illustrates a profound and intimate connection to the earth, portraying it not as a vast planet but as a vibrant, nurturing environment filled with life and tranquility. The imagery evokes a sensory experience, highlighting the beauty found in nature’s details, such as the sounds of crickets and the sights of jumping fish and birds. This perspective invites the reader to appreciate the natural world around them, recognizing it as a source of peace and wonder.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a nature retreat, one could use this quote to inspire appreciation for the surroundings.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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The first crocodile I ever caught was at nine years of age, and it was a rescue.
We have to understand in value what the services of nature are so that we can understand that degrading them is an irreplaceable resource that no amount of money or human ingenuity can replace.
Clearly, we need to rethink our attitudes about water and move away from thinking of it as nearly a free good and a God-given right.
No prosaic description can portray the grandeur of 40 miles of rugged mountains rising beyond a placid lake in which each shadowy precipice and each purple gorge is reflected with a vividness that rivals the original.
Peering from some high window; at the gold of November sunset _x000D_ (and feeling that if day has to become night this is a beautiful way).
Sleep, rest of nature, O sleep, most gentle of the divinities, peace of the soul, thou at whose presence care disappears, who soothest hearts wearied with daily employments, and makest them strong again for labour!