Dear Humans,

When we learn our Fifty, Nifty States, kids always ask how the states got their shapes. For many it’s pretty obvious that it’s natural boundaries like rivers and coastlines. But for all those straight-line states, it’s an equally obvious answer–we, humans, shaped them. And then they shaped us.

Because that’s what humans do. Through words, customs, and laws, we create a world that sits on top of the natural world. And over time, that human-created world gets mixed into the natural world and we start to think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

And this is not a bad thing. And it’s not a good thing. It’s just an unavoidable thing. One of those stubbornly human things.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt