Nature Loves Quiet SundaysBy J. P. Sank
Can you guess why Mother Nature would love a quiet Sunday? Imagine: Nobody is driving around shopping. Nobody is dropping off and picking up children all over town. Nobody is mowing lawns or whacking weeds. Hardly anybody is traveling to or from work. Some people go for walks in their neighborhood. Others pedal around on two wheels. Many attend a local house of religion or philosophy.
Now please recall the Great Silence of 2020. Did you hear it? After the 15 Days to Slow the Spread, it got phenomenally quiet. I remember stepping outside of work one day, near the intersection of two four-lane roads. The immediate area has dozens of stores adjoining vast parking lots, but it was dead quiet. Traffic was ultra-light. The parking lots were almost empty. It was so 360° still that I listened more closely, and, sure enough, even the traffic far away was nearly silent!
My own inner noise then seemed loud. I took a minute to shush that hubbub. What a marvel it was, this great silence!
I recall reading news about how there were more animal sightings in various places. Apparently the critters felt bolder, hardly having any vehicles to dodge.
Hear it in your mind's ear! As the human world gets silent, the birds seem louder. You can hear more of them from farther away. You see more kinds of animals more often. You hear some of the noises they make. As you breathe and sniff, the air seems cleaner, and guess what? It really is.
Yours are not the only ears enabled by the quieting. All of the creatures in your neighborhood can hear one another better and farther away.
I read once that astronauts in orbit can see the effect when large regions below observe a weekly day off. Key pollutants actually decline for the day.
Nature loves quiet Sundays because they give her a chance to recharge and to absorb and dissipate some of what humans have been throwing and blowing at her all week long. Whether you're more concerned about climate change or the pollution of your local creek, quiet Sundays would surely help a lot.
I hereby propose the slogan A day for nature to recharge is also a day for religious people to worship, for everyone to enjoy a day off, and for low-level workers to have a predictable day off.
What about the economy, you say? I would point you to the fact that companies like Chick-fil-A—which has closed on Sundays ever since its grand opening—have demonstrated "Six-Day Success". Everybody can still make money in a six-day economy. Certain industries, e.g. book publishing, newspapers, and recorded music, would get a big boost.
Please remember, NATURE LOVES QUIET SUNDAYS. Pitch the idea to your local leaders if you like it!
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