It’s the mid-1980s in Queens, NY. Even then, I had a clear understanding of the benefits of the presence of nature in urban spaces. I often went to sleep with the rumbling sound of the Times Square – Flushing Line train in the distance and was greeted by it upon waking. I was always delighted to hear the sounds of the occasional pigeon hanging out on my bedroom window AC unit, and would ask my parents, “Do you think it will build a nest?” Not likely. Occasionally looking out my window, I would find a few sticks and branches, but I think the pigeons soon figured out that a hot cube of aluminum would not be the best place to raise its young.
My body and my mind craved nature. My eyes would naturally wander on my daily commute to school – my gaze traveling the distance high above the city’s skyscrapers to remind myself where I really was and what I really was a part of. When my eyes rested on the big swath of blue in the sky, I was confirmed. Nature. Earth. Planet. Universe. My inner vision would become clearer, my breath would slow, and my mind would momentarily find an inner sense of quiet, and rest, withstanding even the loudest car horn.
