(By Mary DeCamp)
Ahhh, such freedom! Oh, the strife!
I have decided to go gadget-free on the Great March for Climate Action. No computer, no phone, no camera, not even a watch, and hardly ever even a glimpse at a television screen.
This choice is an odd one, I know. It means I lose touch with friends and family and don’t get as much internet time as any normal 6-year-old in America does these days. But it has given me a great gift as well: time. I have time to read and to think and to do odd jobs around camp because my eyes aren’t on a screen and my fingers aren’t on buttons.
And the other Climate Marchers are doing a fantastic job of chronicling our trek across America to raise awareness about global warming. The websites and the Facebook postings are numerous and variable and offer an accurate portrayal of our shared journey.
I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to walk across our country, seeing each bioregion we encounter up close and personal. I love talking to locals we meet about their concerns and ideas. And I am truly grateful for my fellow marchers who reach out and spread the word and share the pictures. This is an epic adventure and I wish you were all here to experience it.
Because I am reliant on the public libraries to grab bits of computer time, I have seen some lovely places. Thank goodness libraries are part of our country’s foundation – what a wonderful service they offer to patrons and visitors! And they are still places where face-to-face encounters happen – while I type this the couple beside me are stealing kisses from one another.
Time is up now, and it is time to rejoin my friends and bring back the food we’ve purchased for the Climate March at the Alamosa, CO stores. We’ll be heading into sparsely populated sections of Colorado now, and I’ll have to bid good-bye to electronic connectivity for a spell. I hope to catch up at our next “big city” stop.
Love,
Mary DeCamp
Tucson, AZ