Autumnal Lakeside Reflection

There is something special about autumn. The weather is cooling off, there is a distinct different smell in the air. Animals are flying south to the warmer climates and you can feel a lot of things being shed for their winter coats and hunkering down for the cold season.

The little man and I were recently by the lake the other day to enjoy some outdoor time, we didn't get to spend much time here over the summer. There was unfortunately some pretty wild bacterial blooms and it caused all kinds of havoc with fishing and boating on the lake. I guess it gave the locals a little bit of a break but it also caused a bit of a stir-crazy feel to it! We certainly didn't stay idle but it would have been good to enjoy a little bit more time here than we were able to.

One of the things that we've been doing the past couple of years is spending time at the lake, cleaning up the area and trying to remove some of the leftover junk from the summer. There is a lot of broken glass shards, nails, chunks of metal and other refuse hanging out in the sand in random areas. Thankfully with the work that we've done to clean it up over the years, we are finding far less and less each time we go. That's a huge win!

I think that one of the reasons I enjoy doing this is it is a small way to make a local improvement. We tend to get caught up in the gigantic picture things, where we have far less control. I think that's why the insidious people in charge of these environmental groups always focus on how the world is going to end in 10 years as a whole. That's largely a load of horse shit because there are so many factors at play when you expand to a global scale. There are very few things that would have such a catastrophic result. This makes it so people feel defeated and give up their power and control to others.

With being able to focus locally, we are able to have much greater control and that is an incredibly powerful thing to have. I don't know why this post turned into the way it did haha but that's how it's going and will just roll with it.

We often see pictures and stories of gigantic disasters, trash everywhere and all this chaos. What it takes to gain control though is start in one spot. If we are able to start in one spot, the spot we are standing now, then we can do what we can to clean up that one spot. The more people who do that, the greater the control spreads outwards and the better we end up being overall.

It's a culmination of many different people all working together to have a similar goal. For this here, most of the people who live on and around the lake are in favor of keeping the lake relatively clean. A lot of the people who live on and around it do their small part to keep their local spots clean. That's one of the reasons the water here is so clean and pristine looking.

I wouldn't drink out of the water, because it's not that clean but it is a relatively clean body of water which is important.

By taking the time out of my day, and spending these bits of time with my son, I am able to accomplish a few things and it's quite enjoyable.

I am able to keep that local control over the environment. By doing the cleaning and maintenance of the area that we are in, we are able to have a greater positive net-effect on the area as a whole. People who walk by are able to see the cleanliness of it. Some might be assholes and throw their trash down but for the most part, people aren't doing that.

It also instills a sense of purpose and drive in my son. The most important thing we can do as parents is be examples and models for the kids. If we show them that we are in there getting our hands dirty and doing the work ourselves, then there is a good chance they will emulate and model that behavior when they get older. There are certainly exceptions to that logic but for the most part, it's being able to build a solid base to which we can grow from there.

Lastly it embodies the theme that I'm trying to have more in my life, and I've often talked about on here. "Be the change you want to see." With this in mind, I am the one who is taking the little bit of time to clean up these things and make the atmosphere and environment overall better. Not just for me but for anybody who happens to walk by and spend a few minutes standing by the lake the way I was here. I am sacrificing my time and effort for others and I think that is something that we need to try to foster in other people. We should be less selfish, in specific circumstances and scenarios, so that others can model that behavior and enjoy the benefits that come along with it.

I don't know why the post went in the direction it did but thinking of the time a few days ago when we were there, and how beautiful it was, brought not only reflections from the pictures I took, but personal reflection on our role in society so that we can make it better for everybody.