THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 30, 1997 TAG: 9701300001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: OPINION
SOURCE: Patrick Lackey
LENGTH: 73 lines
City-lover Woody Allen used to say he was two with nature.
Many people, of course, want to be one with nature.
More people prefer to be one and a half with nature - near it but warm and dry.
The Pilot had four stories this past weekend on attempts to connect with nature. The stories came from Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Tokyo.
In Norfolk, city officials are proposing two scenic and historic paths for bicylists, joggers and walkers. Fresh air beckons, if people can find a route safe from cars. With paths, residents could rediscover the animal in themselves. Get in touch with their feet. I love paths.
In Chesapeake, a major complaint at a public hearing on the city's capital budget was the shortage of parks. I love city parks. They are natural but mowed.
In Virginia Beach, officials are dreaming of a southern expressway that more closely resembles a nature trail than the dreaded Route 44. Although it is difficult to envision a four- or six-lane concrete nature trail, officials are serious about constructing a scenic route from Route 44 at the Oceana Naval Air Station to Interstate 464 in Chesapeake.
Officials seek an expressway that nourishes rather than saps the soul. Good for them, if they can pull it off. To keep the expressway from being thought of as an expressway, it would be called the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt, or perhaps Greenie for short. Perhaps officials could import graceful antelope for motorists to watch, or flash African scenes on billboards.
In Tokyo, a metropolitan area of 30 million people, humans have pretty much crowded out nature. Many Tokyo residents rent pets as weekend companions. Some residents buy a pet-store dog or cat but leave it there to visit.
But here's where attempts by Tokyo residents' to connect with nature has turned really weird. The latest fad is the Tamagocchi, which translates as ``cute little egg.''
The Tamagocchi is a computer game the same size and shape as an egg, with a display screen on one side.
According to an article from The Washington Post, ``The game starts when an egg on the display screen hatches and a chicken is born. The owner then uses three tiny buttons to feed, play with, clean up after and discipline it. Unlike most video games that are over in a few minutes, this one can go on for days.
``With proper care, the chicken grows. If the owner forgets to feed it, it sounds a loud `peep peep peep' of complaint. If the chicken defecates and the owner doesn't clean up, it peeps even louder. The owner can tickle it with the press of a button or take its temperature and give it injections of `medicine' if it seems ill.''
If ignored, the chicken turns mean-looking and eventually dies.
More than 500,000 Tamagocchis have been sold since their introduction two months ago. Far more would have sold, but production can't keep pace with demand. As many as 2,000 people have queued up for a chance to buy and rear a Tamagocchi.
People are taking seriously their responsibility for raising good virtual chickens. They carry their Tamagocchis to meetings, which often are interrupted by peeps. Supposedly, Tamagocchi owners feel shame when their chickens turn out badly.
And so we find in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Tokyo a strong desire to connect with nature, or in the case of Tokyo, virtual nature.
I'm heartened by it all.
No matter how lofty our opinions of ourselves, we will never be creatures apart from nature. We didn't make the air we breathe. We didn't make the water we drink. We didn't make ourselves.
When Norfolk wants paths and Chesapeake residents demand parks and Virginia Beach officials ponder ways to build a parkway and greenbelt, it's all for the better.
And I hope Tokyo residents raise well-behaved and healthy virtual chickens. MEMO: Mr. Lackey is an editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot.