(Note: I usually try to focus on only the positive aspects of nature in order to stir a feeling of awe and respect in a world where it seems vastly forgotten in our daily lives --- this post is not in the usual pattern but I was so moved I wanted to share...)*
Today I was pulling invasive Kudzu vines from the side of the road to make baskets with, when I walked back to my truck and loaded the vines in I had a strong urge to go down into the large beautiful creek below and play in the water. The ledge to get down there was somewhat steep and I held on tight to strong tree saplings - when something caught me off guard. Trash. Tons of fucking trash carelessly and selfishly thrown over the side of the road, strewn about the bank of the creek and in the water! (see pic up top)
The closer I got to all the bags of trash and realized the vastness and quantity that had been thrown overboard in sheer ignorance - the more sick I was. Not cause it was just rotten and gross, not cause of the smell, not cause the the bottles of chemicals that were seeping into the soil - but because i was heart sick, sick in a way so deep into my soul that I started crying.
I tried thinking of the different types of people in the world objectively (to help me stay calm).... that there were three types of people in this situation:- The people who litter.
- The people who notice the litter and are appauled.
- The people who see the litter and clean it up even though it's not theirs.
I used to be in the second group. But seeing this pushed me into the third group... I plan on going back this week with gloves and bags to clean this shit up. Anyone want to come?
I wanted to yell at who ever did this, and the only way to begin to stop hating the stupid mutha' F*cker was to tell myself this was some poor old man who didn't know any better- but I am gonna say to anyone who has eyes, anyone who breathes, anyone who walks the earth, anyone who lives surrounded in nature as we do in this rural part of the mountains....How in the name of fuckin' gawd could ANYONE think it is alright to dump your household trash into creeks, water, life force ---- HOW can the stark contrast between the beauty of nature and the garbage not be seen? I think it's impossible unless this poor person who dumped this trash is BLind... in which case they shouldn't be driving on curvy mountain roads carrying bags of garbage.
What is even sicker, is our local dump is only a few more miles down the road and is open a few days a week! There was no way me or any other person who stopped there to admire the power and grace of Spring Creek was going to touch that water with detergents and who knows WTF shit sitting in it.
I felt the very spirit of human history cry - this is only a small example of the HUGE amounts of trash we are making, disposing. The even deeper thought that eventually occured to me through my tears and anger, was once we bring this trash to the proper dump - it simpley goes into landfills and continues to be destructive. *
People, we have GOT TO reduce the amount of trash we are creating! We have to stop buying things, giving into the modern push, stop keeping up with the freakin' JOnes'es over at the local walmart, filling up your houses and garages with things eventually meant for the 'trash'- stop buying so much packaged unfresh foods, so many plastic products!!
Get a life, and start learning how to make things, learn some DIY skillz, learn about upcycling, learn how to repair your shoes instead of buy new ones, thrift shop and stop supporting slave labor industries, stop dumping toxic chemicals down your drains and lathering that shit on your skin, THEN get off the internet and go take a walk in the woods and remember that without our natural resources we are dead. Literally. No clean water = no life for humans. And humans are a beautiful part of the natural world.
(btw- click on the pic below for leslie's mad face bigger and more real. ) **You fuck up my swimming creek..... I am gonna dig your address out your stupid garbage pile and report you to the county! F U stranger.**
xoxoxox
xoxoxox
