Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.
— Luther Standing Bear, a Sicangu and Oglala Lakota author, educator, philosopher, and actor.
I am Irish and Lakota, descended from people who have always lived close to the land. My father taught me much about the outdoor world; camping, hunting, fishing, scouting. An approach to life that I have carried with me into my adulthood and career.
Monks and holy guides of many different faiths agree that each person has their own “grace.” As Thomas Merton wrote, “And each way is a grace, a special way is a special grace.”
I have had a primary special grace since childhood, yet it has been in my 8th decade on the planet that it has become clear… to sit quietly in nature and observe, attune to my own breathing in sync with the universe and its inhabitants. No expectations nor judgment, just watching and listening as moments pass by.
I have chosen a path (my wife too) that respects and cares for the Earth and all its inhabitants, including people of course. We have intentionally chosen a simple life that includes giving much away, (another aspect of Lakota culture is “the give away.”) We have adopted that into our urban life. We also share a heart knowledge that the world is broken and that many humans experience brokenness which often leads to destructive behaviors.
In this season of my life, being ever close to nature continues as I teach my grandchildren and their classmates, volunteering at school for classroom lessons and field trips.
It is a good life among all my relatives, walking in harmony.
Patrick Watters
I am a retired Environmental Land Use Planner. My long career started as a wildlife biologist and park ranger. I am husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to many younger people. In this “golden season” I describe myself as an ecotheologian. My spiritual “tag” is “anonemoose monk.” }:- a.m.
Luther Standing Bear was a cousin of mine who lived on the Pine Ridge rez in South Dakota. I have researched and read much about my Lakota heritage through my great grandmother Isabel Maricotte (Lakota/French) “Bear Woman” of the Sicangu (Brûlée or Burnt Thigh).
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