My Previous Book...
... I wrote because my life suddenly seemed worth explaining. The threat of dying had put a gun in my back, pushed me over the cliff into action. I wanted the world to know how birds and the natural world had always figured as a major influence in my life, and why.
I am no stranger to catastrophe
First it was wildfire and mudslide here in Montecito. Then suddenly, two years ago, this virus went on a rampage inside my own lungs. Gasping for breath, and breathing in the woosh of oxygen from a big machine, I lay in a hospital bed for three weeks. Finally, my body said, okay, I have to get out of here.
Graces Warbler (Photo by C. Marantz).
Lung desease promotes anxiety
Anyone who's held their breath underwater knows what it's like when finally coming up for air. That gasping, shortness-of-breath urgency is with me every moment. And the anticipation of air not being there floods my system with worry.
Bar-tailed Godwit (Photo by W. Fritz).
Salvation
I learned through the weeks and months of trying to live a meaningful life while I managed my illness that writing was relaxing for me. While writing, I let go of anxiety. I immersed myself in the particilar birding adventure I was describing. I was living the pages of my journals.
Northern Pygmy-Owl (Photo by C. Marantz).
Onward
Despite a few doom-filled predictions, doctor's calculations, and my own anguished mind, it's three and a half years later and I'm still here. Still kicking. Still wanting to wring out the beauty from everything I see outdoors.
Hikers enjoy the view at Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park.
My Message
... is that nature is a healer and observing how it works is crucial to every stage of human life. Watching birds is one of the ways to understand the natural world. By filling the day with moments of being in nature, benefits compound. It is a way of healing that gives me solace and has allowed me to survive unheard-of challenges.
Wilson's Snipe (Photo by David Levasheff).
