Last night someone was blasting (illegal) fireworks at 10pm. Explosions in the dark—oh what fun . . . for someone. A month or so ago visitors complained to us about construction noise from a remodel across the street from their rental that prevented them from sleeping in past 8:30am. We smiled and exchanged looks. This has become one of our favorite examples of absurdity on the part of people who live in bubbles of their own making.

People complain about the dawn chorus but play their stereos on full blast all afternoon. It’s the same with tourists stepping off curbs in the middle of the block in Cannon Beach without even checking traffic first. They are affluent white people, of course. They are on vacation and everything must be perfect for them.

It’s happening in France too. The New York Times today reports about a French rooster in a favorite vacation spot that bothers vacationers. A fisherman has been asked to replace his hedge with a concrete wall because the birds living in the hedge are noisy and wake vacationers. People move to the country to get away from smog, traffic, and sirens and then object to the sounds, smells, and other inconveniences of country life. They have learned to shut out much of what might bother me about city living, and whine about what I actually enjoy.

My husband opens our bedroom window early each morning specifically so that we can listen to the dawn chorus. We had already been in bed for some time when the fireworks started up last night. Some beachfront homes sport enormous spotlights that shine on the beach (which in Oregon is a public park) because they thinks “it’s beautiful.” But if they wanted to look at the water, they had hours of daylight to admire the view. Instead they really look for a few minutes and then forget to turn off the lights, which shine all night and do damage to wildlife. All because we are afraid of the dark, afraid of wild creatures and of going to sleep when night arrive, of sounds and smells of nature. Even time.

The Grand Canyon is now a Dark Sky Park. “The designation places the Grand Canyon into esteemed company with more than 60 dark sky parks, communities, and reserves in the United States.” Light pollution on our planet is a very real problem. Years ago I wrote a snarky essay as a model for students about how offensive I found lighting when I wanted to run by moonlight. I discovered my personal objection was really beside the point. Lighting creates a host of problems for human beings and animals, birds and general health. We converted our outdoor lighting long ago to avoid lighting the sky when nature is dark. We never leave our lights on all night and not only for that reason. It might be safer in the dark, and it it is certainly healthier. Numbers on the clock have become more important to human beings than actual time. Despite the fact that “noon” means that time when the sun is at its zenith, some people want so-called Daylight Saving Time to run year around, with “noon” at 11am. If people wanted more hours of daylight, they have only to wake with the sun.

Are all these disconnects from the realities of nature a matter of privilege or modernity or just plain stupid?

Instead of resetting clocks, shutting up nature, and sleeping hours past dawn, perhaps it’s time to rethink this absurd denial of nature. Turn off the electric lights. Hear the birds. Understand that we live on a planet not merely in manufactured spaces. Birds sing. A raccoon crossed our yard this morning and they run across our roof at night. A weasel lives in the hedge, and pet rabbits and dogs should not be turned out “to run” in the wild. Baby seals are left to rest on the beach by their mothers and do not need to be rescued. Storm-battered waterfowl will die or survive without assistance.

Allow the wild to be what it is. Live with it.