The Pond by My House -- Jessica Schwier

There is a pond in my neighborhood that I enjoy visiting to clear my head every now and then. I walk my dog down to the pond and sit on a rock and allow my dog to just run around, enjoying nature. I really like just sitting there and obsering whats going on, and every once in a while I bring bread to feed the ducks in the pond. While at the pond, I just sit there. Sometimes I visit when I have things on my mind that I would like to think about. Other times I just go to sit and enjoy the weather and the atmosphere. Its a beautiful place. When I am visiting the pond, I feel a sense of understanding with nature. I watch all the things going on, and it's amazing how one place can seem so calm with a million things happening at the same time. I feel like many people need a spot like this in order to clear their head every once in a while. However, we must always remember to be respectful of nature, because we may be intruding on someone else's special place. For example, there is always trash and litter around the pond area. I try to clean it up, but people continue throwing bottles and candy wrappers around the pond, even into the pond. It hurts my experience with nature when I visit my pond, and the first thing I see is shattered bottles over the rocks, and wrappers floating in the water, ducks swimming right past them. It shows once again how people are losing that connection with nature. I try and clean up what I can, but I still don't believe how people are so lazy they can not find a trash can. It takes more effort to walk down to the pond and chuck something in the water. My point is that people, although they do not have to respect nature, still must show respect for it because it will affect others who are trying to enjoy it.