A little square of green

I was driving home from a meeting in Menasha and I decided to cross the Fox River and take a left onto Spenser Street.  This part of Appleton has house after house on small lots.  Along that road, I noticed a new patch of lawn.  It was green from edge to edge.  No weeds, no structure of any kind, no trees, no sign.  The last time I had driven by, the place looked like it had just been cleared of something.  It was edge to edge dirt but in my mind I supposed that a house or building had just been removed from that location.  My hear sang this week as I drove by and noticed the nice lawn and the open space.  

I am an advocate of green space.  I see the value of having green things grow nearby.  There is a certain calm and peace that comes with nature.  Somehow, it reduces stress and helps us unwind.  A bit of rough provides a space for birds and other creatures to inhabit, feed, and reproduce.   Trees and bushes break up the wind, sun, and blowing snow.  They provide oxygen and clean the air.

I wish more effort could be put into taking down old, unused buildings and returning the space to nature.  At the very least, doing so takes out a potentially dangerous structure.  We need to value what natural surroundings bring us.   I think our cities would be better off with the right balance of living space and green space.