Sitting in the grass, blanketed with pine needles, listening to the faint sound of the city... the hypocrisy settles in. A small town girl, in awe of the large city, I stare at the large buildings and meticulously organized layout of roads, walkways, and structures. Just a few days ago I was ranting about the destructiveness that humans cause, but what I failed to address was the beauty that can be created from the destructiveness..
What is beautiful about a downtown area converted from natural forest or some other wonder that no longer exists there? It is the beauty of variation in architectural design and the ordered pattern of one way streets and underground garages created by planners, which culminate into a place of work, education, pleasure, and other activities for the human race. It is why people are in love with metropolitan cities.
Similar to a forest or natural spring, cities consist of large scale interconnected relationships. However, unlike a forest, these relationships all directly benefit humans and no other. Yet, sitting here, I have the same humbling feeling. The feeling that if I was not here, everything would go on with little adjustment. It is the humbleness of standing alone in the middle of a forest and realizing that you are just a minor fraction of something grandiose, something much larger than you.
For some reason, I find comfort in this, both in the city and in the places untouched by human development.
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