Touching Grass...Not Glass
I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
That phrase “touching grass” has been circulating lately, appearing in emails from various camping organizations, and it has become somewhat of a meme extolling the virtues of getting kids off their devices and out in nature. I can’t help but think of all the times I have stood in front of, or sat amongst, a group of campers asking them not to pick the grass! This always seems to be a default diversion for kids whenever an adult goes on a bit too long explaining the rules to any game about to begin. Forget “touching” grass, it’s a lot more fun to pull it.
In our parent survey from this summer, an overwhelming percentage of them listed “time away from devices” as the primary reason they sent their child to Mishawaka. We have certainly championed this as part of a Camp Mishawaka experience, but maybe not enough. We may be reluctant to just keep adding fuel to the fire, complaining that the digital world we inhabit is all bad. It’s not lost on me that I intend to distribute this message on the very medium that I decry as insidious! I am not sure any of us could give it all up, touching grass all the time and never touching the glass of our screens again, but the benefit of doing so, even for just a while, is clear.
What kids find in this haven of Camp is manyfold, and I don’t pretend to know all of what they find. What I do know is that they appreciate it just as much (if not more) than their parents. In cases where a camper has snuck a phone into Camp, most have done so at the request of their parents. Most often this gets reported to us by other campers who have abided by the no-screen policy and feel threatened or uncomfortable with the intrusion of the digital domain. In several instances, the offending party has self-reported and gladly given up their phone. The benefit is more than just a meme. We may never know all that taking a break from the constancy of “liking,” “snapping,” or “DM-ing” provides for a child, but we know some of what it does.
Here is one camper’s take on it, in her own words.
I don’t believe what we do at Mishwaka would qualify as “loafing,” in Whitman’s sense of the word, but it all does lead to being a better observer. An observer of nature, an observer of fellow campers and staff, and an observer of yourself. In that sense, I think “touching grass” offers something more than just nostalgia for a simpler time. I think it speaks to basic human needs for connection, friendship, and community. These connections may not be as vast or as rapid as digital ones, but they are certainly deeper. Some grass grows so deep even the most determined 9-year old can’t pull it out!
