Nature and I
The warm sunlight bathed my skin and caused the perspiration on my face to shimmer as I jogged. To my left, the glittering touch of the sun was on the East River and to my right the sun rested upon the green summer trees and flickered as it lost grip of them when the wind blew. The warm scent of freshly cut grass with the cool misty air of the river complimented the scenic view.
I shifted slightly to the right, avoiding the man painting the Hell-Gate Bridge as he eased back to get a better perspective of his work of art. My eyes gazed on to the painting and leaped up to the red gothic bridge. They then flowed onto the surface of the river as I trotted on. Suddenly, I stopped. My eyes were focused on just one area now: the flaw in the picture.
There, placed on the shore, lay a hoard of litter ranging from bottle caps to broken chairs and fences. It was an unmapped junkyard located in the midst of a beautiful view. My stomach tightened and my face felt warmer—not because of the sun, or the exercise, but due to embarrassment and anger. Why should such a gorgeous place be so blemished by the carelessness of others?
Nature has always been part of my life. I have come to respect it because it has always provided me with an environment to relax and recognize the importance of existence. Furthermore, nature’s existence supercedes that of humanity’s and thus, it should not be a victim of negligence and recklessness. Not everyone shares similar thoughts, however just as there is emphasis in respecting our elders in our society there should be just as much weight placed on respecting nature.