It is the middle of midterm week and my old friend, the tug-of-war between procrastination and production, has decided to come to visit. Anticipating his arrival, I went to Gregorian chant on Sunday night with some other friends at St. Stephen’s Church just a mile from campus. As I sit by my reflection spot on the lake, I attempt to recall the calming and uplifting sensations brought about by the new Latin hymns I heard just a few days ago.
However, try as I might to induce the same sense of awe I felt during chant, my mind continues to wander. I focus instead on the newly-blossomed crocuses scattered around the grounds and think about how quickly our time passes, and what can be accomplished with what little we have. As we discussed during our Pony Pasture field trip, our time of environmental action is certainly limited. Not only does the time we have to commit to volunteerism, awareness-raising, and product promotion decrease as we edge closer to obtaining a full-time career, but the time left to recover the environment is likewise dwindling.
With so many causes to choose from, and places to serve, it helps to think of where your work will be felt the most. Local, long-term service, in my experience, is the most beneficial to the community because it is most easily accessible, and simultaneously forms a sense of connection between you and your local place. Watching owners run with their dogs around the lake makes me want to join Mark and CJ on their next Bark (dog volunteer opportunity) trip! In the meantime, I look forward to learning about the James River through our James River cleanup and leave my reflection spot with the winner of the tug-of-war: production.
Gregorian Chant background music: