Long Walks On Leafy Streets

8/11/2013 Miramar, Puerto Rico
Last night I went to watch a baseball game with my friend Manuel. We watched the Nationals beat the Phillies. It was a pleasant evening with mild temperatures and a cool breeze. The ballpark is a wonderful building. Very open, with great panoramic views both inside and outside. I enjoyed seeing the colors of the sunset in the western sky behind the silhouettes of the Washington monument and the Capitol building. The stadium building has received a LEED silver rating for environmentally friendly features. They also have a green roof on top of one of the small structures. I was told that this was installed with the funds and initiative of some environmental groups because the developers did not want to spend that money. Nevertheless, it looks beautiful. It was great to hang out with Manuel. I enjoyed watching the game with thousands of other people, young and old of all backgrounds.
The only slightly difficult part about attending the game was getting back home. Because thousands of people try to get into the metro trains at once, both the platform and the train were packed. The metro does run extra trains after the game but since we spent some time lingering at the park, taking in the scene, the trains had returned to normal frequency by the time I got there. But I did enjoy the company of so many people. One of the best things about taking the trains instead of driving is that you get to meet your fellow Washingtonians. In our busy and cloistered world where people meet each other more often online than in person the ballpark and the trains gave me the opportunity to mingle at least superficially with people outside my social sphere.
While walking home from the train station I picked up a few plastic bottles that were lying on the road and put them in the nearest recycling bin. This is something that I have been doing in the past several years. Whenever I go for walks whether for pleasure or to get somewhere, I pick up plastic bottles that would otherwise run into the sewer during the next rain. At home we try to reduce, reuse and recycle our plastic containers. But when I see a plastic bottle on the street that is just about to run into the sewer it makes me think of the rivers and oceans. Not only they destroy their natural beauty but they also introduce toxic material into the waters that harm fish and other marine life as well as humans. Sometimes I see so much that it is discouraging. Sometimes I am too tired or in a rush. But I try to do my best and every time I do it I get a great feeling of satisfaction from knowing that I helped in a very small way to preserve nature and this beautiful planet.

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