Earth Day Run - 2004
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PeaceHq |
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Earth Day Run - 2004
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As part of the Earth Day celebration
FootPrints For Peace
launched it's first annual Earth Day Run to take place each year on the Saturday following the official Earth Day Celebration date.
The run had two starting points. The main group started at the Chief Little Turtle Monument in Covington Kentucky which is the customary starting point for most FootPrints For Peace events. The other starting point was Peace Hostel Amelia. The runner starting at the Peace Hostel was to run to East Fork Lake where a group of local citizens spend a day each year cleaning up a section of the Little Miami River on Earth Day. The main group was to run to the Peace Hostel from Little Turtle where the closing ceremony was to be held.
My segment of the run began at 5:30am at Peace Hostel Amelia. It was cold and very foggy when I hit the streets. I was, as usual, overcome by my emotions from the first step. My brother runners were first and foremost on my mind. My first thoughts were about Larry. I imagined that he was just getting up, perhaps eating breakfast and preparing for his long drive to Covington. I prayed for him to have a safe journey. As I passed my son's house, still sleeping most likely, I prayed for him and Jules also to be safe. My thoughts then drifted off to the Jons, Blickenstaff and Burkindine. I prayed for their saftey. Terry, Fran, Dale, Patrick, Tyler, Treeza, Libby, Erik, Jeff, all my other dear friends, to numerable to list. I prayed for them as well. The creed of the brotherhood and sisterhood of runners is "every step is a prayer and every mile is a ceremony" and it was certainly true for me this day. Thoughts of Leonard passed through my mind, his children and grand children. Thoughts about the Prisoners Of Conscience who had sacrificed huge segments of their lives for peace and justice. Thoughts of Utsumi and Denise and all the other peace walkers who put their FootPrints For Peace on the sidewalks and highways of the world. As I approached the outskirts of Amelia, where the city lights end and the country side begins, my thoughts began to focus on Mother Earth. Some where not pleasent, they never are when you walk the roads. When you are blazing down the road in a vehicle you seldom see all the devastation created by modern transportation. You do see dead deer because they are big enough to see but as far as the little critters they are invisible until you walk. The highways are virtually littered with small dead creatures who where once alive but where crushed by cars, trucks, etc. Birds, snakes, butterflys, rabbits, raccons, possums, a veritable dictionary of life that is both sacred and now dead. I weep for them. You begin to see how indifferent human beings have become because you see all the garbage that is simple tossed out the windows of passing motor vehicles. Hosts of different metal and plastics cans and bottles. Every kind of candy and cigarette wrapper you can name. Fast food bags and containers, cigarette lighters, broken glass and plastic, hats, socks, shoes, pants, shirts, etc, etc, etc. If the wealth of our country was measured in litter no doubt we are the most wealthy nation ever on the face of the earth and probably the universe. Yet in spite of all this man made devastation you find hope. Mother Earth is not a weak little defenseless child. She does fight back. As you walk you can see grass and other plants growing out of cracks in the concrete and pavement. Mother Earth's children who are drawn to the light of the sun and who will not be denied the sacredness of all life even by man! I even saw a tree growing out of the concrete bridge pillar! 
Then suddenly it all goes away because I entered a different world. As I walked down the park road the garbage and dead creatures where no more. I saw three young deer grazing along the side of the road. I was upon them when they lifted up their white tails and sprung off into the woods. I saw wild turkey tracks in the mud and the sound of cars and trucks wizzing by was replaced with the music of birds and frogs and other sacred creatures of Mother Earth. Spider webs hungs damply from the trees and natural schrubs that Mother Earth provides free of charge if you will let her. The sound of running water caught my ears and I gazed down upon the trickling springs at the beauty of young Sycamore trees growing on a path from their birthplace upward to the realm of the sun. So for the next several miles I was at peace. It was wonderful. My thoughts drifted back to my brothers who were running. I felt a certain sadness that they had to run through the cities and major highways to get to Amelia and were going to miss all this splendor.
It was about 2 miles back to the lake and when I finally reached the ending point of the run I was greeted with mixed emotions. Yes, I was glad I was done. I was tired and needed to sit for a while and rest. I just stared at the lake for a bit thinking of how beautiful it was. I knew it was man made but you know man is capable of creating beauty and this was an example of his abilities. There were two pairs of Canada geese, really neat critters, honking about the grounds doing what ever it is they do. A pair of hawks where soaring about probably looking for breakfast. From behind me somewhere a large group of buzzards came swooping in occupying every thing that stuck up out of the ground. One even rested atop the placque that described the park. He/she spread their wings and held them out in the sun to dry them off I suppose. It was peaceful and beautiful.
But the peace was soon broken as the speed boats arrived. My spell was broken as well. The roar of these boats drowned out the symphony of nature that I was enjoying and I couldn't help but wonder why we had to allow this sort of thing to occur. It dawned on me that so few where allowed to crush the music of mother nature so they could blast back an forth on her waters for no good reason other that a warped sense of enjoyment. I actually began to feel sorry for these "boaters" who obviously did not have it in their hearts to accept what remarkable music Mother Natures provides for free. Not to mention all the pollutants that are spilled into these sacred waters by these fossil fueled demons. Why not sail boats? I said to myself. Perhaps someday man will learn. 
Meanwhile my brothers where slogging it out on the highways on their way to Peace Hostel Amelia. I came back to reality and spent my final thoughts with my brothers. I knew that they where praying as well not only for Mother Earth but their families and their brothers and sisters just as I did on my journey. I was indeed running with them. Their path was the same as mine on a run I took part in oh so many years ago. We shared this common ground adding more footprints to this sacred soil and more prayers for our common existance. When I returned to the Peace Hostel Jim called me and said the Jons and Larry where on the way and that he was getting started on the last six miles from 275 to the Peace Hostel. Larry and the Jons pulled into the driveway and it was good to see them safe. Jim followed in a few minutes later. We gathered for the closing ceremony and exchanged some feelings and conversations, just catching up on our lives which are, through some devine providence, sown together with the thread of the desire for peace and justice. A strong thread that cannot be broken. We then journeyed back to the world around us comforted in the knowledge that we are not alone.
Peacehq reporting 04/25/2004 |
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