Dear Kaia

I enjoyed watching Kaia's photo essay and exploring the blogs. Jabiz Raisdana, Kaia's dad, believes that his daughter needs to be exposed to the outdoors. He felt guilty after he read the book, The Last Child in the Woods, because he did not feel he was allowing his daughter to explore nature. They simply went outside with their camaras and discovered the beauty of the outdoors. I thought it was creative how once they were finished they produced a photo essay. The fact that it was posted on the internet for family, but became viewed by many more amazed me. It shows how the internet works in society today.

I could not agree more with Mr. Raisdana on the importance of being outdoors. It never fails to amaze me how truly special God has made nature. There are so many things in nature that we take for granted and do not take time to acknowledge. A child can learn so much from being outdoors. I believe that children are spending too much time on video games and computers and not enough time outdoors. I know that society today is always on the go and there is just not enough time in the day. However, I truly believe that children are only young once and they need to be able to enjoy it. When I was a child I spent all my time outdoors, and still do. There is no other place I would rather be. The computer cannot give you the feeling of sitting in a tree stand and hearing the eight point buck that you've been wanting all season come strutting out right in front of you. The computer does not touch pulling in your first big fish and having the adrenaline pumping while he is fighting the line. Knowing that you set the hook and pulled him in feels amazing once you catch a glimpse of him! Nature is truly full of beauty and children should not be denied the chance to explore it.



I realize that technology has also made a positive effect in society as well. Without technology we would not be able to learn about different cultures around the world. The internet opens so many doors that allow us to learn in ways some never thought possible. Sometimes when I think about it the advancements seem overwhelming, but technology is the future and that is not changing. I believe there needs to be a line that seperates technology and the outdoors. The outdoors cannot and should not be replaced by technology. As a comment on a blog said,"There is so much to learn from the outdoors, it is a chance to view the extraordinary in the ordinary."