RDB 13: Waller Creek

In this “noisy, haste-harried, greed-ridden, indifferent seeming society” of today, nature is scarce and often taken for granted during the hustle bustle of our everyday lives (745) With problems plaguing us such as the War in the Middle East and an increasing rate of world violence, we seem to forget that “beauty is not a luxury, ...(but) a necessity, a positive agent of survival, a deterrent to the terrorism with which our world is infested” (746). When I was growing up, I would sit and play amongst the enormous trees in my backyard. I would find refuge in their mighty limbs and bask in the shade they cast upon the ground on a sunny day. My favorite among this grove of trees was a giant sycamore tree. Its peculiar bark and infinite limbs circling forever upwards intrigued my young mind. I found joy in its beauty and let my imagination soar for endless hours beside its mammoth trunk. It was a sad day when its mighty hull came crashing to the ground so that our house could be remodeled. As the sycamore lay on its side, its roots exposed to the world, I was sad that no one else would ever have the change to absorb its magnificence or even be able to “guess (at) the beauty (it had) been” (635). This sycamore is only one in many of a new “fresh and following folded rank" (634). Today, Nature is disappearing around us at an increasingly fast pace. Thus, I believe that cities should “be giving high priority to preserving every natural pocket still available” while they still last (746). Austin’s Town Lake is a prime example of nature preservation at its finest. Nestled in the middle of downtown, Town Lake provides a refuge for me when I become overwhelmed by the chaos of everyday life. I take delight in its simplistic beauty and enjoy running along the path and feeling the crisp air around me. The changes I see in all aspects of the path always remind me of the “continuity of life” (752).
From baby ducks following their mothers in a row to the changing leafs and wild life of every season, each transformation exudes hope of a future arising from the past. The tall skyscrapers of downtown Austin are a sharp contrast to this natural wonderland. With the Austin skyline visible throughout m y journey, I am reminded just how lucky I am to be in the lake’s unique atmosphere for just a little while. Just like Waller Creek, Town Lake offers renewal to all those who come upon its banks, and should continue to do so long into the future. As time goes on, we must remember the importance of nature and realize that it is irreplaceable. It is up to us to keep Mother Nature alive and thriving and keep the sun rising upon each new day.