we were driving to montreal today, and stopped at a rest stop in vermont. we sat at a picnic table in a wooded area with a little path going through it. even though we were on the side of a major highway (91), the woods made the atmosphere feel nice and peaceful. sena and aiyana ran back and forth on a small path, and i watched them from the picnic table. at one point, some men came in two trucks, and started working in the woods. they were far enough from us that i couldn't see what they were doing.
eventually, it was time to head back to the car and continue our drive. sena ran one more time on the path, and then she came to me, very upset, saying 'mama, those men are cutting down a tree, you have to go and tell them to stop'. i didn't know what to say. we just walked to the car and got in. she was still upset, and told me i had to go and talk to them. i had no good response. i chickened out. i wasn't gutsy enough to go and ask them why they're cutting the tree, although in retrospect, i think this is what i should've done. i think sena's concern was valid, and actually, for her it was more than concern, she was personally affected. i mumbled something to her, like they probably have a good reason for cutting it, maybe the tree is too old.... something lame like that.
the truth is that i felt exactly like she did, i felt sad hearing the chainsaw cut through the tree, and felt even sadder when i heard the final thud. maybe there was a good reason why that tree had to be taken down, but the point is that i was too afraid to even go talk to those men. what made me feel the worst though is that i am setting a really bad example for sena and aiyana, by not addressing something that is important to all of us....
well, i hope that this made me feel bad enough that next time i could muster up the courage to politely walk up to those men and talk to them....
No comments:
Post a Comment