Week 1
Saturday, January 19 in Foley Square
I was outside
at Foley Square in Manhattan for the Women’s Unity Rally. While this was a
space that was intentionally full of humans – mostly women – I was able to
enjoy the outdoors for three hours. I learned that my endurance for the cold
could be sustained despite worries over it beforehand, and I appreciated the
comradery that the outdoor space brought to those who were standing in
solidarity with me and other students and alum of Drew.
There was very little
of the natural world – no grass, few trees, all pavement – in this area near
the financial district downtown – but there were birds present. Some people
present for the march were intentional about reusing materials for sign-making,
with one side of a sign saying that the grease stains should be ignored because
that person was reusing a pizza box.
This reminded me of the numerous
conversations at Drew about recycling and how the top of pizza boxes have no
need to go into the trash.
Sunday, January 20 in Golden Swan Garden
When walking to
and from work at Judson Memorial Church, I normally walk around Golden Swan
Garden located at West 4th Street and 6th Avenue. I had
never thought about it intentionally until Sunday when I decided to walk
through it without technology or communication with the digital world. I took
more time than usual to inspect the plants and the few non-human creatures
outside and visible on such a cold day. The stroll through the park reminded me
of the need for green space in the boroughs of New York City.
Judson has been
talking for months about taking action against the planned elimination of the
Elizabeth Street Garden; I haven’t visited there, but I have seen on maps how
it is one of even lesser green spaces than the few which are available in
Greenwich Village. These small pockets of the natural world remind me of how I
took it for granted that I grew up in rural southern Illinois where farms were
abundant and hills rolled for miles and miles on end. I love the city landscape
and all of the different cultures that an urban life offers, but I do miss
taking off my flipflops in the summer to run through my grandparents’ backyard
while playing with my young cousins. I was pulled back to current reality as I
exited the park and walked to the subway to return home.
Week 2
Friday, January 25 in Minetta Green
I
walked through the park on my way to / after work at Judson Memorial Church.
There was more wildlife on this cloudy day than the previous week because I saw squirrels and
bugs. As soon as I left, I saw an environmental fundraiser at the edge of the
park. She asked for me to donate, and I said that I was just leaving the park
for a class on interfaith environmental justice.
Monday, January 28 at Drew University
While working in Graduate Admissions, I gave a tour to a prospective student
and walked throughout campus while it was chilly and windy. The walk was split up through stops within
buildings on campus, but we spent a majority of the time outside. I shared our
campus pride about the abundance of squirrels and other wildlife here at the
forest, and I am grateful for getting to study and live here.
Week 3
Wednesday, January 30 at Drew University
There were
blizzard-like conditions on campus with a snowstorm. I connected with Elsa from Frozen once again in wondering how this has
happened. I had received a text about someone claiming that fossil fuels will never run out, and I was still angered by
this text days later in the snowstorm because of the realities of climate
change (notably separate from the temporary weather with major fluctuation).
Friday, February 1 in Washington Square Park
I took a walk through the cloudy park while going to Judson, and I noticed
the death of leaves, trees, and earth. I chose to metaphorically and
emotionally sit in the space of death for now with trust that the time for new
life will come. I felt a sense of hope within me during this time which is a somewhat hope-lacking season of
life.
Sunday, February 3 in Washington Square Park
I was walking
through the park on my way to work, and I was grateful for the brisk morning
walk knowing that warmth was in the forecast for the afternoon. I finally
decided that my life change for the
class would be to buy all of my NJ Transit tickets online to save paper.
I
want to do more to change my habits, but I recognize in an overly intense phase
of life (three jobs, five to ten meetings or doctor appointments per week, 13.5 credit hours of
coursework, a time of difficult health issues), so this is all I can do for
now. With my health as a major cause of difficulty in this season of life, I
wonder how those who are differently-abled and are not well can contribute
negatively to climate change. I recognize the complexities of reusing and
recycling resources because of some being unable to change habits such as
taking medicine that includes excessive amounts of plastic. I shared an article
from The Southern Illinoisan, the largest newspaper in the rural region near
my hometown, about the state of recycling participation and education at home
on Facebook and Twitter. I was disappointed that there was little to no feedback from family, friends,
acquaintances, and colleagues.
Week 4
Tuesday, February 5 at Drew University
I walked through campus between
morning meetings and took a little extra time. I waved hello to a classmate when we
passed each other, I looked out toward unknown students as they passed for
classes and meetings, and I reflected on my gratitude for being at Drew.
Friday, February 8 at Union Theological Seminary
Rather than being at Washington Square Park near Judson Memorial Church
as I usually am on Friday afternoons, I was instead at an all-day lecture
series uptown at Union.
I was struck by the lack of visible, public green space in my five
block walk up Broadway from the subway to the seminary. While in the seminary
(which I had previously toured two years ago before falling in love with Drew),
I was excited to see their courtyard green space in the middle with hopes that
I could enter. I was soon upset when my friend and co-worker told me that he was not
allowed to enter the courtyard. I recognized on my walk out of the building
that the doors entering the courtyard say that they should not be opened, and I
wondered why a place with so little green space would eliminate access to the
small amount of non-human life that is available.
Sunday, February 10 in Times Square
After seeing a
musical on Sunday night, I was leisurely walking through Times Square. I
normally observe the people who are present when I am in midtown, but I took
the time to look for plants and trees. I found that the flowerbeds near the
TKTS ticket booth / red steps were either dead or removed for winter, and I did
not see any trees poking out of the cement. I was struck by the undisrupted chilliness
in the air because there were no trees to absorb the cold winds, and I was left
with only cement and screens surrounding the human lives present.
Week 5
Friday, February 15 at Golden Swan Garden
As
I walked past the garden around 1:45 p.m., I was sad to see that trees were
being cut down and the park was closed, though I had hopes that it was only to
take off dead branches that would not fall and harm creatures. I returned to walk
through the park at about 4:45 p.m., and I was even more distraught to see that
the park was still closed with signs that pesticides had been sprayed. Because
of conversations at Drew regarding pesticides, I am much more aware of how
harmful they are and the effects that they cause.
I was unable to walk
through the park; instead, I meditated on the creatures impacted, the lives lost, and
the further lack of earthiness in a place of concrete, stone, and pavement.
Sunday, February 17 in Times Square
I walked through Times
Square for the second consecutive Sunday while running an unexpected errand, but I
reflected on any potential changes and experiences from the past week. I was
not caught by any natural life, and I was rather disappointed that a place of
such creativity and artistry lacks the original artwork of creation.
Week 6
Friday, February 22 at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah
Rather than going to Judson
for my usual Friday meetings, I went to Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in
midtown. CBST prides itself on being known as the “gay synagogue,” and their nearly
three year old building was created with green and inclusive intentions.
Although I did not get to spend as much time outside as I would on my usual commute, I was
able to put my interfaith experience into practical action by engaging in
discussions on texts regarding immigration from the Hebrew Bible and Christian
Testament.
This was especially fitting in the week of class covering Judaism, and I
was grateful to have the cultural sensitivity to know how to dialogue with
people who have a different way of making meaning but a like-minded call to social action.
Sunday, February 24 in Washington Square Park
I walked
through the park before and after church, and it was a literal breath of fresh
air. I was nervous about Judson that day because I was performing the liturgical
readings in the morning.
Plus,
I was not feeling well due to undiagnosed chronic health issues I am
experiencing and anxiety over the decisions being made at the UMC General
Conference. The walks through the park gave a sense of reassurance that I would
be all right and was doing ok. The trees, the animals, the humans, and the
creative architecture were a divine source of solace on a day filled with
difficulties.
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May we often take time for reflection in the natural world to bring a breath of fresh air.
What practices do you have in your daily life to reflect on creation and speak with people who hold ideologies that are different from your own?
