As I wander out my front door onto my porch, Iwonder how life can move so quickly. As the wind stirs the chimes to createmusic, peace descends from heaven itself. The cares that weighed on my mind onlya few moments before are nonexistent.

As I gaze out over my yard, the sunlazily caresses the grass at my feet, willing it to live again. Nonetheless, thegrass remains dry and lifeless, as befits its station during February. Theonce-lovely roses that line the property are dry and pruned, but I can see themadorned in the array of springtime. The azaleas are dancing beautifully in theshade of the olive tree, which willingly provides food and shelter for the bluejay trilling joyfully from the topmost branches.

Besides the blue jay'ssong, there is no sound except the soft clicking of my neighbor's shears. He hastaken advantage of the day to prune his shrubs and seems oblivious to the gloryaround him. I get a chill, and move from the porch to yard, basking in the sun.

The joy and peace I feel, however, diminish as several cars race out ofnowhere to startle the sparrows picking at the leftover olives at the foot of theblue jay's throne. As they fly away, I wish that I could travel with them. My joyis replenished as I indulge once again in the beauty of the world surroundingme.

Perhaps things are not as peaceful as they seem. Somehow, once thespell is broken, it cannot be totally regained. In the distance, a monsterravages the town, seeking trash cans to transport to the dump just outside thecity. The neighbor's dog begins to complain as a bicyclist rides down the road.More cars race down my street and the noise mounts to a seeming crescendo. Alas,there is more noise as people behind my house begin to argue in tones thatsuggest the world is their stage and I am their audience. As the shouting andstrain of the world collide with the harmony of nature, war rages. It is a warthat is fought between peace and quiet and the stress of living in theinformation age.

Seemingly, this war has no end. Cannot nature andtechnology co-exist? People should be able to savor the delightful majesty ofnature and yet survive in the ever-competitive world of technology. Maybe somedaywe will learn that nature can teach things that are useful, even in this advancedage of learning.