The Rope Swing

It was not until the later years of my life that I developed an appreciation for my environment. I too often chose to travel through life, never fully appreciating the surroundings I was blessed to have until they were no longer there. I never thought twice about throwing a piece of trash on the ground, and never concerned myself with the consequences of my actions. Before I was fully able to come to the realization of the impact my actions had on my surroundings, I had to experience first-hand the destruction that individuals can cause.

During the stage of my life when I felt too mature to be playing with Barbies, yet still believed that boys had cooties, my favorite place to hang out was the Rope Swing. I was introduced to the Rope Swing by my older brothers, and before belonging to them it belonged to my parents and their friends, and their parents before them. As is quite evident, the Rope Swing has long since stood as a great addition to my town. Although my brothers once spent their summer days with picnics and swims by the Rope Swing, they eventually got their drivers licenses and moved onto bigger and better things. The Rope Swing then fell into the hands of me and my friends. We all anxiously awaited the summer days which followed the end of school and began the days spent lounging around the Rope Swing. When the weather finally cooperated my friends and I would walk the short distance into the woods behind my house, and accompany many of our fellow neighbors and classmates to the Rope Swing. We could hear the squeals of laughter and splashes of water as we neared the swing, and our excitement would begin to peak. The rest of my day would then be spent swinging into the always clear and refreshing water, while others climbed the surrounding trees or fished downstream. The saddest part of the day came when, one by one, we began to hear our mothers beckoning us to return home before the sun went down and the street lights came on. Although these days have long since been just a memory to me, since I too eventually got my license and the Rope Swing no longer seemed so appealing, those summers have turned out to be some of the best of my life and our never too far away in my memory.

Shortly after my graduation from high school, my friends and I were reminiscing about “the good old days” and decided to revisit our old stomping ground. As we embarked on the somewhat overgrown pathway to the Rope Swing, it felt as if we were ten years old again and nothing had changed. However, upon our arrival at our old hangout we came to the realization that everything had changed. Broken beer bottles, candy wrappers, and all sorts of litter scattered the ground. The once clear and lively river was dirty and gloomy, and the once indestructible Rope Swing was barely noticeable, hanging from a torn down branch. We all stood in silence, secretly hoping that we had made a wrong turn along the way and this was not the revered Rope Swing we once knew and loved. After a failed attempt to clean up the area, my friends and I left the Rope Swing and vowed to restore it to its former beauty. We all walked back to town in silence, pondering how human pollution and disrespect could turn something so beautiful into something some disgusting.

After a long rant to my mother about how “kids these days” do not appreciate anything, I was informed that the water by the Rope Swing was no longer safe for fishing or swimming. Due to the illegal disposal of wastewater from a local power plant and the litter that now inhabits the river, the water was dubbed temporarily unsafe for any sort of activity. When I heard this news I began to swell with rage, but my anger quickly turned into a feeling of disappointment. My community was solely responsible for the destruction of this once beautiful haven, which had been home to so many generations of our community and housed so many wonderful memories. I can remember the day that I caught my first fish in that river, right alongside my father. I was so proud of the accomplishment and could not have wished for this landmark event to have happened at a better location. After taking numerous pictures of myself with the fish, I returned the fish happily to its home in the river, not daring to remove it from its natural habitat. Now, the Rope Swing is no longer inhabitable for the animals that once called it home, and it is no longer a place where the kids of my town can relax and have fun.

Although this personal experience seems only to describe the effects of pollution on my community, this story can be related to situations all over the world. Communities around the globe are dealing with the effects of pollution, especially the effects of pollution on water sources. The experience with the Rope Swing made me realize how vital humans are in preserving the environment, and if we continue down the path we are on it may ultimately lead to our own destruction. Another bit of insight that I gained from this experience was that oftentimes we do not consider the long-term effects of our actions, as long as there are no immediate consequences. I remember the days when throwing a gum wrapper on the ground was no big deal, since it was only one gum wrapper, but little pieces of litter can accumulate and cause the destruction that I was able to witness first hand. Although our efforts to clean up the Rope Swing did make major improvements, the water is still not safe for anyone to fish in. The process of restoring the Rope Swing to its former beauty is a long one, and there is a chance that it may never be able to be what it once was. Either way, I walked away from this experience a lot more knowledgeable and aware than I once was. My actions towards this environment not only have an effect on me but everyone else on this earth as well. Either we as a race need to recognize and change our behavior, or we will end up destroying this place we call home.

Born and Raised in a Small Town

While driving down U.S. Route 119 in your car, the windows are rolled down, and you are messing the radio dial, you come to a red light and stop and glance around at your surroundings. To your left there is an Italian deli and a flower shop and to your right a row of small houses. The light turns green and you continue on your way, in a matter of three minutes you are traveling through a second red light, and completely unaware that you just traveled through my hometown of Homer City.

Homer City is a typical small town located in Western Pennsylvania; the town consists of a total of three stoplights and is divided in half by Highway 119. There are more bars, churches, and car washes in my town than anything else. We are mostly known for a brand-new Sheetz Gas Station that was built in town not too long ago, and the big power plant in town. Despite the lack of interest one may see in my town, it is the place I have called home for the past eighteen years of my life. It has seen me through the best and worst moments I will ever face, and it will always be waiting for me to return whenever I need the comfort of a familiar face. No matter anyone’s feelings towards this place I call home, it has kept me grounded, taught me so many valuable lessons, and for that reason will always have a dear place in my heart.

One of the major values that my town embodies is comfort. In a census taking in 2000, the population of Homer City totaled 1,844 residents and 805 households. I find much comfort in being able to go across the street for a pizza and spend the day talking to the owner about how school is going, or walk to a friend’s house and be able to smile and converse with everyone I pass. It is a very safe and comforting feeling to surround yourself with those who know you and your reputation, especially when it is one that has taken you so long to build. In Homer City everyone truly does know everyone, and I am free to be myself and not worrying about who is judging me.

A second major quality that I value about my town is its safety. This is the sort of neighborhood where you do not have to worry about locking your doors at night or worry whether your children will be safe on their bike ride. Everyone has a mutual respect for others and their belongings. As a child I was never afraid of walking to the store by myself, because if anything ever were to happen I was surrounded my individuals who would go above and beyond to help and protect me.

Not only is my town comforting and safe, but it is also very convenient. While growing up I always had my friends within walking distance of my home, along with anything else I could possibly need. Not having a car was never a big concern of mine growing up, because at the time everything I could ever need was right in town. Although very small my town contains, two small grocery stores, three gas stations, a hair salon, four churches, three pizza parlors, an ice cream shop, a pool, and of course my high school right in the middle of it all. There were no limitations to what I could do growing up, and the convenience of my town is still something I value to this day.

I believe one of the best qualities of my town is the intimacy and close-knit quality that is possesses. The word-travels-fast quality of my town is not always something to fear. When a member of our community is struggling or going through a rough time, everyone rallies to help them. I have partaken in numerous benefits and spaghetti dinners to raise money to help out people of our community, and witnessed these remarkable acts of kindness. For instance, after the death of a family member, the next day half the town will be on your doorstep with food and comfort. There is such a good feeling that you get when you’re on a bus pulling out of your high school on your way to a state volleyball tournament, and the entire way out of town there are people standing on the sidewalks with signs cheering and showing their support for you, wishing you to succeed. I understand the feeling of not be treated as a number or any passerby to someone, but as an individual, and to be cared for and respected. Just knowing that there are is always someone there to lean on, and someone to trust is the most comforting feeling, and oftentimes what I love and miss most about my town.

Another thing to value about living in a small town is its simplicity. It isn’t everywhere that you can become a hero and grace the front page of the gazette because you scored the game winning basket at last night’s regular season, Single A, basketball game, a game of course where the bleachers were filled with supporters from town. There have been many occasions where my picture has made the front page of the town newspaper for academics, high school sports, and being the homecoming queen of a school graduating only eighty-five students. These are the sorts of headlines that fill our newspapers, not the murders, robberies, or drug arrests that are so common everywhere else in today’s society. It is wonderful to have the simple things in life acknowledged and valued in the community.

One of the final values that I admire about Homer City is the fact that is it so family oriented. I hope to one day raise a family in a town similar to Homer City because I believe being able to grow up in such a family oriented environment was extremely beneficial to me. This is a place where family dinners are a must, and parents would not miss their children’s sporting events for anything. Family is a major priority in town, and most of the residents are families, who come here for the quality education and safe living environment for their children. Family is one of the main values in my life, and living in an area that promotes that ideal is essential.

Although I have always enjoyed living in my town, the fact that I could go away to college and leave everything behind me was an idea that always fascinated me. I swore from a very early age that distance would not be a factor in my college selection, and I would go as far away from this little town as I could and become whoever I wanted to be. Yet here I am, one hour and forty-one minutes away from Homer City and in a town and school that is not much bigger than the one I just left. It turns out after all, that I could not picture myself anywhere else then where I am now. I was raised in one of the smallest towns I know, and despite as much as I try to distance myself from it, I find myself most comfortable in places that remind me of it. After I graduate from college and move on with my life, in hopes of establishing a career, my chances of living in Homer City again are slim to none. However, no matter how far away my adventures may take me, that is where I will always call home, the residents will always be a part of my family and in my life forever. I dread the day when I return for a visit and nothing is the same, the day when maybe they start to modernize Homer City and add a few more shops and stop lights. That small town is what I know, as dull and boring as it may seem to any other passerby it holds some of my most precious moments, and I hope it never changes, because in my eyes it will always be home.