Look at the World Upside Down: We Are Ready to Fly – Dr. Plastic Picker
 

Look at the World Upside Down: We Are Ready to Fly

| Posted in Our Tween/Teen, Trash Art

Picture I took yesterday of our daughter’s sand drawing.

March 13, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I took this picture yesterday. It was a sand drawing my daughter did. We had both been home virtually working, she at school and me with work (work work and climate work). We had both had been sitting at our computers from morning until about 3pm. I was also working on our refinance paperwork, which is time-consuming (I find fun) but very detail oriented to get all the right paperwork to the lender. Our tween was finishing up her last day of school and giddy about approaching spring break and having an entire week off. Eventhough we were both home and I had made kinda vegan muffins with dried plums and an overripe mango (which was surprisingly good!) for breakfast, by 3pm we were both irritated. A just menarchal and almost menopausal (just kidding, I have a few more years) daughter and mother pair that are irritable is not a good combination. Our tween daughter had the previous night learned that her National History Day entry into the Individual Documentary Category had won at the Middle School Grade 6-8 category at the San Diego County Level and she is moving onto State. She was excited and proud, but toward the end of the day she realized that she would have to spend some of her school break editing her documentary on Mahatma Ghandi. This is the burden of trying to to do more. There is always more to do.

At about 3pm, we decided to head to the beach. I used an old salad tong (one of those flimsy ones that Olive Garden gives out when you order) and picked up a bag of mostly light floating plastic. The plastic labels from single-use water bottles and corners of ubiquitous candy wrappers and all the “bars” people eat. These had washed back from the Pacific at low tide, and is actually fun to pick up. It’s peaceful walking along the beach, and I don’t often do it with anyone else. Many people have wanted to take walks with me, but honestly despite being out their on Instagram (now 1550 “friends”) and on the blogsphere – I’m an introvert. I like to go alone. But our tween is the next manifestation of me, indeed my mother named her for me. I feel often we are of the same body.

So we walked and she chatted, and I listened. We dodged the other humans walking and talking – but there were few people out. It was Friday, and I had worked extra during the week and was surprisingly off during the afternoon. Our daughter drew on the sand with the salad tong.

Beautiful bird.

Trying to capture her sand drawing, I flipped the image and I realized that is how I see the world. Upside down.

Image flipped. Perspective flipped.

And today I posted all over facebook an announcement about a very special person and an important position that she is up for – for our community and for the earth. I’m a bit player in this storyline. It’s a long story and one that I hope for the earth will have a happy ending. I’m very proud and admire this particular person. But my story is on the beach with my daughter. My friends ask me how is it I am able to accomplish so much for the environment. I am honestly surprised they ask, because I don’t really know how much or how this is all happening. I close my eyes at night to sleep, and listen to my body and the earth. And when I wake up, I do my earth chores. The earth tells me what to do. And when I look at the world upside down, I see the beautiful birds all around us ready to take flight.

Today! I will be guerilla gardening! What you see, is not what you get! There are seeds in that Trader Joe’s Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend Jar. Wildflower seeds that are native. Just in case I’m caught in the act, I’ll tell the authorities “I’m looking for the bagel I lost!” LOL.
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