literature and whatnot: The Holidays: From Beauty to Trash

For my reflection walk, I drove to Seattle and walked around from 12:00 to 3:00. I parked down by Lake Union and walked up to Capitol Hill. Along the way I noticed a lot of garbage along the road and on the sidewalk. I took pictures of ripped party hats that said 'Happy New Year" and avoided the myriad of broken bottles that littered the streets. I also took pictures of peoples trash cans, and I found it so funny that all these things that were once so appealing to they eye were all now trash. The dumpsters were filled with festive wrapping paper and boxes that had once contained flat screen TV's, and on top of it all was the empty bottles of alcohol.

I am not sure why I found it so amusing, but the thought that all this stuff that brought us pleasure in 2011, is in our trash in 2012. For the next week the streets will probably still have broken glass and litter from parties that ended with the arrival of the first sunrise of 2012. I tried to think deeper, as if this idea held a deeper meaning... happiness and celebration one year is another years clean up. But I could not think of anything deeper than that. While I was on Capitol Hill, I got a burger at Dicks, and I talked with some guys who were playing guitar. I gave a homeless man a light for the joint I watched him hand roll, and when I left I gave the young musicians $5. I hope they can get to wherever they were going.

I longboarded down past Seattle Central Community College, and then boarded over to a record store. I bought a couple jazz records. Then, I went home and all the while still trying to think of a deeper meaning of the treasure to trash idea, hoping that I could share some bud of knowledge with the class on Tuesday.