The old man wasn’t dead twenty-four hours when they started staking the land. The son had spent some years getting ready for the day, cutting deals with developers, drawing up maps of the various parcels, filling out the paperwork.
Development. That’s their word for when they down whatever was here and build some godawful boxes to sell. Ryerson’s woods, the last piece of natural land in this county, 90+ acres of pristine wilderness and one ancient house.
They say they’re building a nature center. Great. Kids will be able to look at pictures of the tress and animals and wonder why.
.
And they call it progress. We’re watching strip malls and parking lots crop up all over our area. Ten years ago we moved out here to escape urban life and it seems to following us. I feel for Mr. Ryerson. Good one, Josh.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Stinging last line. A strong message well told.
Love the “plans to build a nature center” irony.
All too true, sadly.
Randy
Thanks. This actually took place outside our town of Cedar Rapids, They destroyed some of the last grassland to make a nature center. The community was behind it because now the kids can look at taxidermy of the former prairie residents in air-conditioned comfort.
Building a nature centre is like mllitary intelligence. Good one, Joshua
Ain’t that the truth. We have a massive new housing estate being built on the back of our street. No sign of any ‘nature’ or even a park in amongst the endless houses.
Too close to the truth for complacency. Well done.
We need open space but we need homes too. Which is more important? A modern day dilemma.
My FriFic tale is called Solace!
A strong statement well made, here!
If I had 90+ acres and had enough money, I’d build a house in the exact center, make it as self-sustaining as possible (solar, wind, septic, gardening, greenhouses, satellite communications), and hide the heck away from humanity. Well, I think of that sometimes.
Feels like that everywhere I think, people selling off tiny parcels of land to squeeze another boxy house onto. Well written elegy for the open wildness Josh
Poignant tale of two generations, where the apple has fallen far from the values of his father’s tree.
This is superb. Love the storytelling, hate the biting truth of it.
This is way too close to reality, Josh. Well done.
Great piece and very topical. It seems so many beautiful places of history, heritage and culture are ceasing to exist all the time.
Do away with nature and build a nature center. Great.
Love the last sentence. A Nature Centre to show what was there before they chopped it all down to make way for the Nature Centre…
All in the name of progress! Hard hitting last line, J Hardy. Nicely done.
Excellent writing, excellent message. I like how you manage to tell us about the father/son relationship entirely by implication, at the same time as driving your storyline about the rape of nature. Very accomplished writing!
I piece of writing which is close to my heart. Particularly as much of what is now being built is already redundant
A powerfully told story – about the grim irony of calling this ‘development’ instead of what it is- destruction- of what really matters for future generations. Good story.
Love the tortured tone in this piece, Josh.
Great story – loved the ‘voice’ – so maddeningly true to life!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Perfect description of so-called development. A frustrated an hopeless piece, well-written, and getting the point across.
90 acres of pristine wilderness sounds like heaven! Every generation can sit back and boast about the hardships they endured while growing up. Hopefully the new generation will go in their own direction with respect for honoring nature. Enjoy it! Excellent story!