Write a description of an place that has some real meaning for you–the tree where you had a tire swing growing up, the dog park where you always take your dog, the oak tree where you sit when you just want to feel calm–any specific place outdoors that has had some meaning to you in your life. Include sensory details that show what the place looks and feels like–specific colors, smells, the way it feels.
There’s not much interesting about my hometown. Nikola Tesla used to live there, we have a museum dedicated to him that I’ve never been to, I think it used to be where he lived. He built some tower right outside of it that was supposed to give my town free energy. Still, it was never put into operation because the people from my town are pretentious rich people and local energy companies make far too much money from them than they were willing to give up, so they stopped his operations. But the tower’s still there. There was a nuclear power plant that was built around the same time as this electricity tower, my town made this huge deal about it, I think it was supposed to provide energy to as far as New York City, about an hour and a half away from the town by car. One of my high school teachers told me this story about how they brought the nuclear material to the plant, got all ready for it to be put into operation, and right before they turned it on there was a huge debate from Long Islanders concerned about if there was a disaster, getting off the island would be nearly impossible, essentially dooming us all. So now it just sits there, they use parts of it for wastewater treatment, but other than that it’s just some building teenagers occasionally break into.
The power plant sits at the edge of the smallest saltwater river, surrounded by marshland. It’s my absolute favorite spot in my world. I think everyone in my hometown has some connection to the creek. I’ve spent countless hours there, it’s the first place I go to when I need to be alone. It’s a gathering place for all of my friends at home. I went to the creek on my first first date. I’ve reconnected with people I thought I would never see or speak to again there. I’ve had my best and most meaningful moments among the tall grass of the marsh, the crabs, the clams, the seagulls, the potholed-filled dirt patch that’s attempting to be a parking lot, swans, ducks, and the fish.
The Creek is the reason I think Long Island is more underrated than people give it credit for. It’s island life in the suburbs, and it’s beautiful in such a unique and specific way. The backdrop of this towering bright teal and grey powerplant is this huge eyesore on arguably the prettiest biome of Long Island, but it adds so much character to the space. I think about how awful the place would be if they actually had put the plant into operation. The heat from the plant would be flushed into the river and all the surrounding plants and animals would die. Including the life within the Long Island Sound, which the river flows into. There wouldn’t be fish or seals for miles in every direction from the town. The shellfish would die. Megablooms of algae would block sunlight to the underwater plants, which means no bugs, which means no ducks. In fact, all birds would have no reason to visit. Not to mention the possibility of nuclear waste diffusion into the surrounding soils. The Creek would not be the Creek.
The Creek isn’t a gathering place in my town because it has a parking lot. It’s a gathering place because it’s the most peaceful and connected place in my town. It’s a biome like no other, it’s its own world.
I was on a website the other day that showed the changes the U.S. coastline will face with the threat of sea level rise. Three feet in, out of the 20 or so feet the website offered, the Creek was completely gone. I guess I’ll enjoy it while I still can.