Nature Disturbed

On my walk through Overton Park close to TCU's campus last week, I noticed many squirrels and small insects, with an occasional bird here and there. The squirrels were just as skittish as the ones at TCU, even more so because the ones at TCU are almost used to people. There were a couple insects that I had never seen before. One looked like a leaf but was completely yellow and was moving like a worm or caterpillar would. It seemed fluffy but I did not want to touch it. The birds were making chirping sounds every now and then as the wind calmly swayed through the park. I pictured the bird sounds dancing on the wind, and it was a truly peaceful moment. However, what truly caught my attention was a trash bag that was hanging on the branch of a tall tree. It almost jumped out at me because it seemed so out of place. In the midst of a walk where I was escaping the city and people, I was suddenly reminded again of man and our effect on nature. How did the trash bag get there? I questioned whether a bird was using it as a nest or whether it was just pollution carried off by the wind. Regardless, it looked like an ugly mark of man, tainting an otherwise perfect scenery and tree. I pondered whether I had to travel to a remote place of nature to truly get away from man's influence or if this was just a rare encounter.