I have been watching David Attenborough nature documentaries for as long as I can remember.
And David Attenborough is a legend.
I constantly stipulate that I do not 'hate' sciences, and I do have some interest in them - it's just that I prefer to others to do the research and to tell me about them, wherelse in humanities and the social sciences I prefer it the other way around. Although I must admit that there is one particular science that I really don't care for, either as a teacher or a student - mathematics. I'm fascinated by biology and, ignorant as I am of the complexities of them, of natural phenomena. But numbers are just numbers to me, pretty little squiggles. Only in double math classes, they're not so pretty.
Anyway, so much of what I know of animals and the intricacies of nature come largely from David Attenborough's cult-status docos. There's something really wonderful about him - his passion and drive to pursue what he finds 'interesting' and 'fascinating', but also a distinct air that his talents and contributions are rather unappreciated - and this is the only time I will criticise an artist's recognition in comparison to that of a scientist. David Attenborough's brother, The Lord Attenborough, is an actor. Granted, a very good one, but he has received so many awards and honours and styles it is as if he saved the world with his thumbnail and a shoebox, or something. I mean, the *Lord* Attenborough. What was wrong with good ol' *Sir*?
But the greatest thing about David Attenborough is that he simply doesn't care. He simly doesn't care that half the world believes he's loony and that's half-true. He doesn't care for state-of-the-art technology, and he doesn't understand the point of theatre (ironic, considering his brother is (The Lord) Richard Attenborough).
I wish I had the courage to be so different. The world will remember David Attenborough - not just because of what he can do, but he had the courage to dare to do it. If I don't pluck a similar sort of courage, not a soul will remember me. And that is what I am most afraid of.
1 comment:
Yes, we do remember people who strike out and are different.
And we give them the whale of a time while they are alive!
Attenborough was able to do what he did because he was Establishment, and supported by Establishment.
I don't begrudge him this, and nor do the birds and animals he covered so well.
And "conservation" and "conservative" do come from the same route.
One of my favourite nature-observers is probably David Bellamy. Nuri Mass is a good artist and nature observer.
Your analysis of the Attenboroughs made me think of a dear old friend who left the world in 2005. She had a great passion for the Attenboroughs, especially David.
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