Blog #6 The Bluejay in the Creek, Surrounded by Garbage

As part of my weekly rhythms of rest, I take walks outside. I live near campus, and my apartment is surrounded by other apartments. There's limited space to be outside because we don't have a backyard, so I tend to go on walks. There's a gorgeous Presbyterian church that has a nice garden with benches that I'll read at on warmer days and a lovely neighborhood across the street with large trees. 

I've always been one to explore. Growing up, I played lots of video games that involved exploration and puzzle solving, so when I go on walks I anticipate new encounters with people, animals, or objects. Some may call it snooping (or trespassing at worst) but if a gate to a neighborhood is open, odds are I'm walking through. 

Recently, below the Presbyterian church is a park that connects to the Fort Worth Zoo. In fact, it seems that employees have an entrance to the zoo that connects to said small park. The lot ends with this gate that is positioned underneath a bridge, and it has always seemed mysterious. I imagine that in a mystery novel or adventure game, a hidden objective, secret enemy, or hidden treasure could be hidden behind the gate. Maybe the zoo employees are secretly a part of a crime syndicate and the back entrance to the zoo would be my route to apprehending the gang members. In reality, the entrance is just an entrance, albeit to exotic, dangerous animals. 

 This park is nestled in the middle of housing, and it's mainly a parking lot. The only notable aspect is a creek that bisects the park. This creek isn't remarkable, but it is framed by trees. On a walk in October, I was graced by a Bluejay, who was bathing in the creek. The bird paid no heed to my presence a few feet away. I witnessed a delicate bird bathe in the creek, and it was magical. 

Another invisible figure was present in the creek. Plastic bags hung on the trees, tainting this beautiful creek with the refuse of the stoners who use the lot. The clear juxtaposition between the bird in it's natural state and the impact of lazy people made me sad. The bird was still content to bathe, not knowing that the creek it bathed in was surrounded by trash. It's life wasn't impaired by this trash, but it certainly devalued what would be a beautiful oasis in the midst of multi-level apartments. 

As I witnessed these things, I contemplated how my own laziness or failure to clean up after myself disfigures the natural beauty of the world around me. I want to be the type of person who keeps the beautiful things beautiful. That's all for this blog. I hope any of y'all who read will ponder how conservation efforts to preserve aesthetics can mean something in a day where most of our beauty seen is digital.