In my dreams I feel a gentle wind rustling through my hair. The sun on my face. I hear the call of a francolin as he ushers in the day… and all around me is space.
Those are the memories nature lovers cling to during times spent indoors. On our Netflix screens we have been able to enjoy virtual safaris and have listened to Sir David Attenborough insisting that the end is in fact nigh. Despite the beautiful episodes of or rewatching ten times, nothing quite hits the spot like actually being outside. I shiver at the thought of a future where the “new normal” of a safari occurs through an artificial interaction on a screen. Some are advocating for it. For those virtual experiences that will let you escape your fourth floor walk-up flat in London and delve into the wilds of Africa. But it’s not the same, is it? It’s not authentic. By its very definition it’s not real. What we need during and after this time of uncertainty and fear, is to truly experience the real world again. To escape the enclosures and step free.
