Many Walks and a little Reading to help with the World today, by Shelley Hopkins

Many walks and a little reading to help with the world today

 

One day the dog and I took our recycling to the local park, followed by a walk. Last time I walked here I was disappointed, basically circling ball parks. This time I followed a dirt road away from the park, and found a new neighborhood under construction. The roads were paved, all the land was exposed clay and white pipes stuck up where houses would go. We walked along the paved roads, and I tried without luck to keep the dog out of the wet red clay. All around the cleared neighborhood were fields of tall brown waving grasses, and trees further out. This had once been farmland. I looked in the distance and saw a large white bird, an egret, lift off and fly away.  There must be a pond in that direction. Just a few minutes later about 6 geese flew overhead, honking and flying in their V shape. I turned to look for the pond. One of the neighborhood roads leads toward the water, but stopped before reaching it. I wonder if the pond will be part of the neighborhood property. I wonder if the clean water will be affected by the development. If it were my project I would create a walking path around the pond and keep some of the land natural for the neighbors to enjoy. I turned back to retrace my steps and noticed a farm house, with the construction barriers almost in his backyard, and dust on his windows. 

Another day I walked on a paved sidewalk around Delano Park, originally built in 1887. The park has a large rose garden circled with old stone walls, and large green spaces. A playground is nestled in developed natural areas, with large stones, cypress trees and native grasses. The park is surrounded by old homes, and has a deep historical feel. This park has been part of our town since before the depression. I read it used to have a swimming pool, now filled in and used as a practice field for the school marching band. I also walked down one of the side streets, and enjoyed looking at yards and porches.  Later in the week the dog and I walked several times in my neighborhood area, and at least once we walked along the farms and rural roads on the outside of our section of homes. When there is little traffic I enjoy this walk a lot. One day it rained, it poured, and the dog and I chose to walk anyway. I had on a raincoat and the dog shook water off her body several times. The wind was high, and the leash vibrated. We had so much rain to fall one of our neighbors was living on an island. This area of Alabama is so flat we sometimes have drainage problems, and this day it was very obvious. I enjoyed the sound of the rain falling, the misty skies and puddles, but it was also cold. We were glad to return home and dry off. 

My focus these two weeks has been the great books I read. First was Cloud Atlas, a very strange but enjoyable set of stories that all together develop a theme.  People may live in challenging times, and it seems there are always people that want to subjugate others, to lift themselves up by pushing down groups that are different. Bad decisions can be made from hatred, fear, lack of interest, desire of money and power and the idea that the “others” are not like “them.”  Happily the book ends on a promising note, as a main character decides to turn his life completely around and begin working as an abolitionist, against the evils of slavery. The idea of the stories, that seem to be unconnected at first, is that individuals can and do make a difference, even when it seems unlikely. I can’t think of a more positive point of view.  I also read a Louis Penny book, the 19th story in her series of mysteries. I love her writing, and also her messages. Again, individual people trying to do right, and do good, to make the best choices in different circumstances, even when these choices seem futile, can make a difference. Sometimes the person standing up for what is right, or for the weak, that person may not even see the effects of his or her choice, but that does not negate the good that has been done. Do what is right, treat others well regardless of their situations, and the world will be a better place. Encourage our better natures, our compassion and never stop trying. It’s like going on a long walk, the miles seem relentless and the distance reaching away, but every step, even the incremental tiny step moves you closer. It may not feel like the walker is getting closer to the goal, but they are. And, such a beautiful journey on the way. The walk is worth it, the land you travel through is of value, and the way you interact with the trail, the other hikers, makes all the difference.

These two weeks I walked 15.28 miles. It would be easy to say, how few miles I am covering in such a long time, but if I gave up and decided it wasn’t worth trying, I would not have walked any miles. Don’t give up, fight for the good, for what is right, and keep walking forward. Every step counts, every encouraging word helps, every resistance to cruelty, it all helps. 

River walk

 

Last Saturday I walked 5 miles, divided into two places. I started in downtown Decatur, walking around the park on the Tennessee River, called the Rhodes Ferry Park. It’s nice place with a playground, lots of green lawn and pretty views of the river. The park is called Rhodes Ferry park because a boat landing used to be situated on that spot of the river, and it was called by that name. This landing is where three different groups of Indians arrived in the Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and this act required native Americans of many tribes, all the tribes east of the Mississippi to travel many miles to Oklahoma.  Many of the tribes walked to Chattanooga, and then were placed on barges to travel down the Tennessee river, stopping here overnight. The first group arrived in a heavy rainstorm.  At first the Indians huddled on the open flat boats, in misery, wet and cold. Later they were unloaded and herded to warehouses nearby.

  I stood on the site of the landing, looking up and down at the park.  The warehouses are gone now. For the first batch of Indians they were reloaded onto boats the next day and sent on their way. Many of the people had caught colds due to the wet and cold weather. Later in the year two more parties of Indians arrived, disembarked and also spent the night in the warehouses. This time the river was down and the boats would not have been able to cross the Shoals farther downriver. Trains were used for this leg of the journey. The Indians, men, women, children were marched down to the train depot, loaded up and sent on their way.

I walked along a back road and came upon an old house, iron gate and fence and lots of tall trees. The house and view were stunning, but in a bit of an industrial area. A sign said the house was built in 1828, and the inhabitants of the house would have been able to see the boats land, the Indians herded into the warehouse and then back on the boats the second day. I tried to imagine what that would be like. Imagine sitting on the porch, or working in the house. A heavy cold rain falls, and as you work or sit you look outside to see open air flat boats arrive. On the boats are people, huddled together, dripping wet. Some are men, some women, old people, children. Certainly your heart would go out to the suffering. Whenever I am inside and cold rain is falling I am thankful I have a roof over me, and a home to go to. Would the homeowners think about that? These humans on the boat had all been rounded up, forced off their homes and farms, herded together, marched across states, placed on these flat boats, crowded together to ride along the river, and now were sitting in the rain, just waiting for the next orders. 

I continued to walk, and turned away from the river. A path runs under a train track, and then passes in front of another house, possibly the oldest standing structure in Decatur. This house faced the railroad, and people living here would have seen the Indians as well, especially as they were marched to the train depot. I walked on, crossing above the train track. This would be a fun place to stand when trains pass under. The path continues to a museum on the site of the old Train Depot. I turned and walked back to my car.

I have a pamphlet created by the state to commemorate the Trail of Tears, and that is where I got most of my information for this article. The pamphlet has a quote I want to include here, from a bystander during that time.

“Many of them (Cherokee) could be sen examining with their peculiar inquisitive silence and gravity, this great enigma to them, while others, apparently uninterested and thoughtless, amused themselves with an old fiddle or sat motionless, gazing at those around. But a lively spirit seemed to animate the balance, with the exception of a few small children, who, though unable to speak a word of our language, as a bystander facetiously observed,’cried in very good English’”

For a longer walk I drove to Pt. Mallard and walked in the wooded area along the river. I passed some kids playing in the woods. They were trying to build a fort, and were having a grand time. I passed a few other people out walking, and enjoyed deeply the feel of trees overhead, the silence generally of woods and walking on dirt. My spirits lifted some, and the walk did the good walks usually do. I returned home in a better mood, and saw I had walked over 5 miles total. During the week I added to it by 5  more miles and tried to imagine the AT again. I would be working further from Neels Gap. One of my favorite hikes when we lived in Ga was on this section of the trail. We would hike out to a huge rock overlook, with wonderful views of the mountains stretching out farther and farther. Soon I would be working my way into NC, home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, those that hid in the mountains to avoid the forced removal.  I guess the Indians made the mistake of being here before the European settlers. And now we have migrants, making the mistake of arriving after. 

Feb 10 miles

Jan - Feb - 39 miles.