Thoreau...
The writings of Thoreau both intrigued me and humored me.  I found it interesting that a lot of the things he viewed as issues in his writing are bigger issues today.  I believe that Thoreau would be very disappointed if he were to see what "modern improvements" have taken place since his time.  His fear of transportation via air is a reality along with other means of transportation and communication.  The definition of nature has changed with the times and it defers depending on whom you ask.  If we were to drop Thoreau in the middle of New York he would have an automatic heart attack, all of the noise and commotion would be overwhelming.  If he stayed alive long enough to learn about the events of 9/11 and how people mourn about this event I believe he would blame those events on the "modern improvements", if it wasn't for airplanes then no one would have been able to hijack an airplane.  As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for architecture then the buildings wouldn't have been so tall and close to the sky.  As he stated in Walden, "A great proportion of architectural ornaments are literally hollow, and a September gale would strip them off...They can do without architecture...".  In addition, in one of his journal entries written on December 30th he tells how he witnessed two axe men chopping down a tree, he expresses how the animals that once used that tree as refuge will look for that tree in vein, and no one around is mourning this tree which once gave a home to animals and beauty to nature, but they mourn buildings (not just the people who's lives were lost that day).  No one even notices that the tree is gone or that it even existed.  To Thoreau the earth, "is a body--has a spirit--is organic--and fluid to the influence of its spirit" and we, "belong to the community".  His belief is that we cannot live alone without the help not only from others, but especially from nature.  If we don't take care of nature, nature will not take care of us.  The simple circle of life is what keeps us alive, but only we can determine how we live it and living it in a world full of things that harm the Earth will ultimately harm us in a deadly cycle.  Although some of Thoreau's thoughts were absurd and created humor I cannot help, but to see the seriousness of the issues that he writes about.  The fact alone that his writings are timeless should open our eyes to what we have done in our quest for easiness for our lazyness.