Monday, October 5, 2009

A walk in the park

It was just an ordinary day and an ordinary walk in Jells Park that my wife and I took this evening. Depending on where you come from, this simple event could be deemed extraordinary. You see, we passed a number of people. I carried my camera in full view. I didn't get robbed and I did not feel threatened in any way. Even when we passed a group of young men, I did not cringe inside. I breathed freely. I enjoyed the fresh air and the unpolluted grounds. Even the birds do not seem perturbed by the presence of visitors.

Do you realize what a privilege it is to be able to walk freely in the park in a free country? For me, to take a walk in the park is to savor freedom, and to remind myself how lucky I am to be here in Australia. When I was a young boy, I used to imagine that people in developed countries spend a lot of time enjoying nature and the wilderness. Now that I am here, I want to do that as much as I am able to, for as long as I can.

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