In the image above, I am standing at the highest point in Malden, Massachusetts. I am facing away from the camera with my arms extended out, looking up at the sky, just basking in the beauty before me. Waitt’s Mount Park not only carries history for me, but Massachusetts as well. It was home to a Fresh Air Camp during World War l and gun batteries during World War ll. It was also the place where people observed the Battle of Bunker Hill. For me, the history is a lot more positive. I didn’t know about this place until my junior year of high school. My friend and I were just walking around Malden, bored out of our minds, when all of a sudden she suggests we go to this park. I didn’t have high expectations of this place. We made the trek up to the park and when I say trek, I mean a trek. It was steeper than some of the sprints I had to do for track. When we finally made it to the top, I was just stuck in a state of shock over what I saw. From there, I could see all of Malden and the Boston skyline. I even saw planes coming and going. I chose this image because not only does it hold history for the place I’m from, but also me as a person. Despite not being able to see my face in the image, its evident that I am enjoying and appreciating the place I was at.
In Terry Tempest Williams’ Homework, she defines the bedrock of democracy as a landscape that “informs who we are, a place that carries out history, our dreams, holds us to a moral line of behavior that transcends thought … a participation in public life to make certain all is not destroyed under the banner of progress, expediency, or ignorance. We can not do it alone” (Williams 19). The place I chose does function as a bedrock of democracy because its a place where all the noise disappears and lets us appreciate it. This ties in with Kingsolver’s theory about wildness.
I do agree with Barbara Kingsolver that we need wildness. She states in her book Small Wonder from the chapter Knowing Places that it “puts us in our place, it reminds us that our plans are small and somewhat absurd” (Kingsolver). Kingsolver is saying that wildness is much bigger than we are. We need to appreciate it and know that we are not the center of the world, nature is. We can’t put all our efforts in one thing, that would create a disconnect to nature. We need it to ground us.
I don’t consider myself a city dweller even though Malden is a city. I don’t carry the characteristics and traits of a city dweller. I hate loud noises and traffic. I do think I have a connection to nature. Most people I know that are also from Malden go to Boston and other larger cities. They seek out new places to eat and trendy spots. I don’t seek those places out, I appreciate how much beauty there is in a place not known for its beauty. If I were a true city dweller, say from Boston, I still think I would experience a connection with the earth. I can say this for myself that I would seek out nature more than not. I would continuously prefer to go to parks rather than a trendy hotspot. A city dweller can only experience a connection with nature only if they’re open to it. Bell Hooks describes our connection to nature best, she states in Touching the Earth that “When we love the earth, we are able to love ourselves more fully” (Hooks 363).
The thing that really captivated me about your photo is one the Boston skyline and your overall pose. It is almost like you are taking up everything around you, capturing the sunlight and fresh air, observing the plants below and heavens above. You are completely surrounded by the beauty of the environment, while looking out to the modern human habitat in Boston. To look across the water and observe the man made structure can be quite beautiful, thinking about the time and effort that went into designing and building each and every building. But these peaks, mountains, and hills are humans first observatories, skyscrapers, and stairs to the sky. Standing there looking down on the Earth it is difficult to imagine what our ancestors once saw, what used to stand in place of human construction. Going with your quote, “puts us in our place, it reminds us that our plans are small and somewhat absurd” (Kingsolver). We need the environment to help keep us grounded, it gives us a true sense of connection to the Earth. This primitive connection may be helpful for many in finding their place in the world, being in nature helps many people feel relaxed and balanced. But at the same time the city scape can be a great source of bringing together many different people and cultures. Cities are epicenters for culture, industry, and innovation. The city is a man made habitat that fits almost all of our modern needs and desires, but many still long for the natural aspect. Do you have any ideas on how we could incorporate more nature, and natural aspect to our man made environments.
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Your description alone of this location makes me want to go visit, your picture is beautiful. I enjoyed how you gave some history behind why this location is significant and showed to readers that nature is something which has been and always will be here. This is the idea that Kingsolver brings up in order to show use that we are small compared to the nature around us. You also bring up the way in which this location where all the noise of the city life disappears and your able to connect with nature. I like the way you described this, its as if I’m there experiencing the peace which comes from this location. You also brought up the fact that even though you live in a city, you’re not a city dweller. I can understand this feeling because I live pretty close to Boston, but I don’t feel too inclined to go there. Not only is the city congested with people walking around, but even driving in the area can prove to be difficult. Along with the nonexistent parking that they have there, the city isn’t too appeal. I feel as though Boston is a place where people have visited time and time again, to the point that it has lost some of its allure for some. I agree with you idea that being able to relax and just connect with nature can prove to be a much more stimulating activity then wandering around Boston.