Nature, or lack thereof

Looking at the LA Times website today, I came across this article about the decline in the number of stables in Southern California. I was originally drawn to the piece because, well, I am a girl and have therefore always wanted a pony. While the article was depressingly devoid of pictures of pretty horses, one sentiment in the article made a lot of sense to me.

Los Angeles is not what you would call an "outdoorsy" city. Any time I bring this up, natives are quick to mention the easy drive to the mountains or the beach- best of both worlds. I am quick to point out that they might make that trip once a year. Los Angeles has so much natural beauty; sunshine and warmth radiate in the city year round. One would think this natural environment would be enough to draw Los Angelinos outdoors for activities like hiking, kite flying, or even horseback riding. The urban sprawl just keeps expanding, however, and it gets harder and harder to fit in green activities in the city. To quote the article quoting a woman named Mary Benson, "we are separated from the land. . . . People are afraid of the dirt. They are afraid of the dark. They have no sense of their place in the natural world."

This also happens to be the subject of one of my favorite pieces of art in Los Angeles, Not A Cornfield. Basically, an artist planted corn in what was once a contaminated piece of land in downtown Los Angeles. After just once growing season, the corn had replenished the land with nutrients and it is now going to become a public park. I realize this has nothing to do with horses, but it's part of the same idea.

Maybe this is just the perspective of a farm girl, but people need plants. I think people, especially in Los Angeles, forget that everything they eat had to be grown, had to come from somewhere. I remember hearing one girl comment that we should get rid of daylight savings because "Who farms anymore?" While the plight of the Southern California equestrian is not particularly crucial to me, it just reminds me of the distinctively removed feel of the city.

People need plants.