I drive carefully on the pitted dirt road to Dyken Pond in rural Rensselaer County. We parents carpool and gingerly lace our cars on the narrow road so our kids can spend a day hiking, building fires and walking barefoot in marshland.
Of all the camps my kids have done, this one has received their best reviews. There was never any doubt that they wanted to attend until the oldest aged out, and that was that.
I grew up in the country, and dipped myself in nature almost daily. There was an overgrown tree nursery across the street, and abandoned railroad tracks way down behind the house. Somewhere there was a trickly stream where I collected clay.
Summers I came to Grafton on a school bus. When I was old enough, I baby-sat kids my little brother's age down the street. Their mom was doing something that I appreciate deeply now.
She was working on a committee to establish Dyken Pond as a nature preserve. I only discovered this work when she saw one of my sons wearing a T-shirt he'd made at camp. We both got very excited by the link.
Driving the road the other day, I thought of her. I tend to avoid civic commitments. Disappointing intersections with the Troy City Council led me to take a divorce from trying to affect the shape of my city. Plus, my husband has a good devotion to a few projects, so I figure some of our family time is dedicated to the greater good.
But seeing the legacy of this woman's investment has me rethinking my stance. She took the time to say something was important. Herds of kids are finding deep connections with nature because of her choice. Maybe it is time I make some choices for the future, too.
Amy Halloran is a Troy writer. Her website is at http://amyhalloran.net.