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 sequoias belong to the silences of the milleniums. Many of them have seen a hundred human generations rise, give off their little clamors and perish. They seem indeed to be forms of immortality standing here amoing the transitory shapes of time.
This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.
Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you.
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The autumn always gets me badly, as it breaks into colours. I want to go south, where there is no autumn, where the cold doesn't crouch over one like a snow-leopard waiting to pounce.