A Communal Home

Bella Kidd

Abstract

I decided to write a fictional story that portrays my sense of place and the
environmental ethic that most resonates with me. Taking place in the year of 2080, I
interpreted my vision of what our local surroundings could become if we, as a
population, are not mindful of the consequences that are linked with taking from nature.
My story represents a rootedness attachment to community, and it is construed that
community is most important in finding a sense of place, rather than finding a physical
area or space of land. An excerpt that speaks for this viewpoint is: Nothing is definite,
but Ive learned to embrace this through creating my own sense of being among a
strong community bound by threads of optimism even in our darkest days. This quote
defines my sense of place as deriving from the belief that I belong to a cohesive
community. Furthermore, my environmental ethic is expressed through describing the
need for sustaining a proper environment for our future. One quote that interprets my
environmental ethic clearly is, I just wonder what the past was like empirically, and
what today could have been, had society not dazed its perception of what a sustainable
environment is. Sustainability comes not from humans fulfilling their needs without
limits, it comes from taking only what you need with the consequences in mind. This
quote describes how I value sustaining environments for the future and shows the
importance of putting nature first when preservation is a virtue.

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Placelessness.

Its a peculiar feeling, really. A feeling that Ive learned to accept and cope
throughout my short lifetime thus far. I dont really know how to interpret having a place,
because I dont believe Ive ever had one. This world that I live in - its just not
permanent. It is ever-changing, expanding, advancing; but not necessarily for the better.
This eternally evolving world that I live in can never promise a permanent state of being
for a certain place or area. I cant attach to an environment that is never definite. Ive
never belonged anywhere particular, Ive just been.

Its a blustery Sunday morning on an April day in the year of 2080. I peer outside
the smogged window of my bedroom, my vision obscured by my clouded window panes
facing the city of Durango. Charcoal-tinted haze billows out of the vented streets,
screening my view of the never-ending buildings stretching for miles towards the
horizon. The usual somber cotton ball clouds loom above the city, hovering low to the
ground and blocking out the light of the sun that Durango so desperately needs. The
sight of the suburb is languishing, as it has been for the past few decades.
Looking away from the window, my eyes nostalgically meet one of the many
framed electronic photographs in my bedroom, showing Durango as it had been many
years ago before the revolution that caused it to go awry environmentally. My parents
and grandparents, who had lived here since the early 2000s, had hundreds of beautiful
images of the old Durango; untouched by industrial changes and pristine in condition.
Something about these images just intrigues me - from the natural scapes of green, to
sprouting flowers in the spring, to ice-frosted mountain caps - all incredible sights which
are rarely spotted in present day. The beauty of Durango as it had been years ago
cannot be done justice by those pixels, I remind myself as I envy the green, vast
meadows in one of the pictures hanging on my bedroom wall. Ive never seen a
naturescape so naturally, effortlessly verdant and faultless as this pixelated meadow. It
frustrates me that the hands of time cannot be turned back to this alluring scene of what
Durango used to be.
Although Ive never experienced an emerald meadow or a fresh naturescape in
person, I feel as though even just the sight of nature in all its glory brings me peace.
The nature that I see in my photos strewn about my room gives me a sense of
tranquility and hope, and all I can think of is how grateful I would be to experience that
bliss in person.

I return to reality and glance out the window pane once again. Tin-can busses of
people packed tightly like sardines load and unload clusters of passengers. Consecutive
cries of vehicle horns pass through the town, their sounds muffled by the industrious
creaks and rasps of commercial construction vehicles. I glance at a nearby construction
scene as a sense of utter jealousy overcomes me. I know Ill never be able to
experience the beauty of a vast meadow or a peaceful forest, because those days are
long gone with this destructive revolution that has evolved over the past few decades. I
just wonder what the past was like empirically, and what today could have been, had
society not dazed its perception of what a sustainable environment is. Sustainability
comes not from humans fulfilling their needs without limits; it comes from taking only
what you need with the consequences in mind.
Although I am discouraged by the environmental changes that have occurred
over the past few decades, I still hold on to hope for change and the renewal of the
beautiful nature that used to occupy this city. Durango has been industrialized in recent
years and its original wilderness has predominantly been eradicated, but theres always
been something about this city that keeps me rooted: the community. Constant
adaptation to the ever-changing city has made us grow together into one cohesive
community as we resist the inevitable evolution of our town. We are a garden of beauty
and bravery, still growing and standing tall even in sparsity of light. We are the tulips
among weeds and the roses with thorns, and our community still continues to thrive
even in the absence of hope and the presence of doubt. With a sense of community,
there doesnt have to be a particular area or space of land for you to call home. Ive
learned that throughout my life, all Ive known was change and evolution. Nothing is
definite, but Ive learned to embrace this through creating my own sense of being
among a strong community bound by threads of optimism even in our darkest days.
As I take another glimpse out my window, something extraordinary grabs my
attention. I see a young girl knelt upon a little patch of dry soil, patting at the dirt
rhythmically around a small plant to secure it in the ground. Beside the girl are more
premature seedlings laid in bunches waiting to be planted. Among the slate buildings
and ashen sky surrounding her, the contrasting glow of emerald on a thin stump of a
new pine seedling stands feebly but proudly. Its the only greenery to be spotted from
my viewpoint, making it an even more significant sight. An ocean of pride washes over
me, drowning any doubts of a hopeful future. The impact that a single individual creates
on the environment is usually miniscule, but every act to improve an area counts in
moving towards the right direction for a sustainable environment.
I decide to make my way outside over to the girl to share the experience of
planting new life. Before I can ask to accompany her, she looks at me and flashes a
generous smile, offering a seedling for me to plant. She is silent, but I know that her
actions speak more than her words could express. I excitedly accept her offering and
begin to dig a space for the seedling in the dry soil beside her. As I secure the seedling
in the ground, I cant help but reflect on the satisfaction that making a difference in the
town I call home brings me. To share such an experience with a stranger is
exponentially gratifying and reassuring, as it proves in itself the great culture that
Durango has always possessed. Even as we as citizens must cope with the inevitable
industrialism overtaking the city, we still can unite and create the future of our
environment, changing it for the better. Knowing I can make a difference and share the
experience with others brings indescribable joy and pride. My mind is tranquil, my heart
is at peace, and Ive made my mark on the world, even just through the small gesture of
planting a tree. Hope resonates and satisfaction overcomes me. And for the first time in
my life, my soul is at home.
As our society evolves, not only is it important for us to tether our people
together, but it is mandatory for us to mind ourselves and our actions as we change.
This city has already been deterged of most of its nature, and consideration of the future
is vital for life to come. However, I remind myself there is definite hope for our
environment. With the culture of such a dense community affinity as Durango has,
communal cohesion creates the future of our city. And with the strength of our
community in present day, were potentially headed in the right direction for a stable
future and city that I am proud to call home.