For the longest time, one of my most pervading dreams has been one as ambitious as it is unlikely.
Time and again, I'll see notices go up on vacant lots around the county, advertising them for sale. They'll stay that way for two, sometimes even ten years, growing over with weeds, oak trees, bushes, and every type of plant that's made its way to our shoes. Unchanged, save for the occasional mowing imposed by the city, fore fire safety concerns.
But, they all meet the same fate eventually. One by one, they're bought up, and something is built there. Subdivisions, tract housing, even another mini-mall filled with impractical stores. Bit by bit, one of the most beautiful places on earth is getting industrialized, the fate sneaking up on us in the name of progress and profit.
My dream has been, for many years, to buy up these lots and cultivate them. To mow them and keep them neat, but also to preserve the existing trees, plants, and landscape that is of no harm to human life. I wish that I could make these into greenspaces for people to see, to sit in, to enjoy. Places there they can escape for a while and simply revel in this wonderful place that we live. A place where they could find balm for their soul.
My brain tells me this is impractical. Not only would it take millions of dollars to purchase property, but millions of dollars to upkeep and maintain. Taxes, landscaping, upgrades and maintenance -- even before the economy took its nose-dive, it would have taken just about an insurmountable amount of money. I can't even imagine all the legalities involved. What if a crime was committed there? What if someone got hurt? What if someone sued me, thinking I'm an easy target, and all the greenspaces were lost?
Still, even with my mind's incessant litany, and my own empty pockets, my heart tells me that it's important to still dream. Especially dreams like this. My roots run deep, and I want it to be that way for everyone else, too.
This isn't nearly as nice a picture as I wanted to post. As with so many things, lately, I've just run out of time and computing power. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to make it over again, at a later time. In the meantime, I hope that it helps you live, for just a moment, in my dream.
`anmari has been spreading her infectious positivity throughout our community for over 6 years. Throughout this time Ana has been at the core of all things devious, passionately developing an eclectic gallery, helping organise devmeets, participating in chat events and also recently completed dedicating her time as a Community Volunteer. We are absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for May 2013 to `anmari, congratulations! Read More
Sta.sh
this art has epic structure, i cannot 3d.
I would love to roam around the vacant yellow-green hills that I see in California, and wander around beneath the occasional foresty stretches.
Anyhow, it looks lovely. Thank you for sharing with us.
I wouldn't worry too much thought.
After nature has got bored of our consistant disregard and inneptitude and gently removes us from her great scheme... the urban wastelands of our foolish legacy will be the only thing left of our 'civilization'... which of course will soon get reclaimed by nature.
They predicit this would tale around the 1,000 year mark.
Many lifetimes in human terms... but in evolutionary terms, this is a mere blink of an eye.
In geological terms, it's not even worth a mention... a bit of errosion here and there.. that's about it.
As a species we tend to forget that dinosaurs roamed the earth for tens of thousands of years before they became extinct.
Nature has yet to create a species that she cannot render extinct to make room for a new one.
This peice and the ideas behind it, help us to remember that.
Which can only be a good thing.
Good luck to you with the contest!!!!!