Great Meadows: A Trail of Freedom and Unity

By Georgia Pitner

WRI 111: Writing Seminar

To read student-editor Carolina Conway’s comments on the writing moves found in this essay, click on or hover over the footnotes within the text.

Great Meadows, the national wildlife refuge behind my house, is the path that I walk daily. The wetlands conservation area in Massachusetts is so expansive that I have never been able to explore all of it, despite going there for the past 19 years. Great Meadows spans 250 of the 967 acres that encompass the Minuteman National Park system. If you follow the entire Minuteman Trail, with its diverse flora and fauna that lives along the Concord River, you will discover many historical landmarks that commemorate the start of the American Revolution and, hence, the foundation of our country.

I have always liked the solitude that Great Meadows offers, but this time, for the first time, the path is almost completely empty. ¹ It is impossible not to think about endangered species and their habitat in a refuge center designed to protect them. It is also hard not to be awed when you consider the historical relics you pass on the trail, like the bridge where “the shot heard around the world” was fired. But today, I am thinking about the fate of our species and country in a time where nothing is guaranteed and everything feels unsafe. I am also thinking about returning to a post-pandemic world that is going to be much different from the one I left, when people did not have to worry about masks and social distancing. ²

Massachusetts was where the Revolution started; now, it is the place where the pandemic is surging. ³ Our governor has enacted tight restrictions on all non-essential services and businesses, some of the strictest in the nation. Even former President, Barack Obama, praised Massachusetts for being so proactive in our response with business and school closures, contact tracing of infected patients, and expanded testing of all citizens. Yet not everyone concurs with these measures — the pandemic has limited all the freedoms Americans hold dear. Our history, as a country established on the premise of independence, makes me think of the current pandemic and the individual freedoms it takes away.

Photo Credit: Michael Dwyer

As is what happens with most issues these days, Coronavirus has become politicized. Many people are basing their beliefs and actions in response to the pandemic on their political affiliations rather than on expert medical consensus and scientific facts. In an article from The Atlantic, author Dominic Tierney writes that “even the act of social distancing is political — another way to show tribal colors — as liberals urge people to stay at home and conservatives chafe against government restrictions” (Tierney). ⁴ This political divide is apparent across states, highlighted on the news, and has ultimately created a “Coronavirus culture war” that treats social distancing as a political act rather than a safety precaution (Coppins). Our country feels polarized — each side blaming the other for their hardships and restricted freedoms rather than seeing the virus as a common enemy. As a result, many parts of the country are already resisting the restrictions and lockdown imposed to limit the virus’s spread. There are rallies and protests by angry citizens fighting to reopen the country, comparing the lockdown to tyranny and fascism. Seeing photographs from anti-lockdown rallies is shocking — nobody wants to be stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do during a global pandemic that is growing exponentially. In my opinion, the restrictions we are currently living under have very little to do with freedom and much more to do with saving lives. The rush to resume life-as-usual is selfish and shortsighted; people holding up protest posters that say “Massage is essential” and “I need a haircut” are either missing the point of public safety or are minimizing the breadth and gravity of the pandemic in favor of more superficial luxuries. ⁵

Despite the surge of coronavirus cases across the country, the state of Georgia has just allowed massage parlors, gyms, hair and nail salons, and bowling alleys to be included as essential businesses so they can resume work. The mayor of Las Vegas says that reopening the city can be safe and wants visitors to return to the casinos. These states seem less interested in flattening the curve than boosting the economy, prioritizing money over safety. In addition, these

anti-lockdown protests and premature quarantine releases are not only disrespectful but also life-threatening to the healthcare professionals and essential workers who are risking their lives so we can all safely resume ours.

Photo Credit: Alyson McClaran

Despite this political polarization and resistance, I believe that there is hope for the country to unify. ⁶ More often than not, tragedy brings people together. This is something I witnessed for the first time in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings when the entire city of Boston responded as one. ⁷ There were mass celebrations of life and collective donations of money, goods, and time to demonstrate that we were truly “Boston Strong” when confronted with adversity. Now, as we continue to face nationwide hardships caused by COVID-19, the United Nations is urging us “to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” insisting that “now is the time for unity” (Guterres).

I particularly like the new push by the World Health Organization (WHO) to use the term “physical distancing” instead of “social distancing.” WHO feels this wording is preferable as a way to stress the importance of preserving social relationships in spite of the need to maintain personal space. Author Harmeet Kaur writes, “[At] a time when being physically isolated from others can take a toll on mental health, the organization wants to emphasize how critical it is for people to stay socially connected.” Across the country, small signs of compassion and unity are emerging in the face of the pandemic. Since I have been home during quarantine, I have been part of a town-wide effort called “Operation Feed the Soul” that delivers food to healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics throughout the greater Boston area. We also make “snack packs” to give to other essential workers in post offices, sanitation departments, and the police. Our purpose with these initiatives is to show support and gratitude for all their hard work while also supporting local restaurants that are struggling financially in the lockdown. One can see on the nightly news other grassroots activism, such as making and donating personal protection equipment, taking place throughout the country as well. Our community is truly stronger when people work together; perhaps the real tragedy is that it takes a crisis for us to remember this truth.

These days, we are getting a lot of bad news — sometimes it just seems like we are bombarded by horror story after horror story. But in a time like this, it is especially important to focus on what is good in the world, such as the community-wide efforts of support and gratitude towards our essential workers. In addition, although coronavirus is certainly giving the human race a run for its money, it has given the environment a chance to heal. On the empty trail of Great Meadows, I think about how nature is rebounding in the absence of people. ⁸ CNBC reports that “air pollution has dropped to unprecedented levels across the world as major cities and countries impose lockdown measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.” I don’t know if I am more impressed by nature’s resiliency or humans’ destructiveness. Once again, I think of Massachusetts as a place for rebirth, and this rejuvenation is evident in the flourishing wildlife growing over the previously worn-down trails of the Great Meadows.

Sunset is my favorite time to visit the Minuteman Trail. There is a tower overlooking the river where you can watch the colors of the sky turn from light pink to deep orange to dark. The colors reflect off the water’s surface and, if it is a quiet night, you can hear the fish splash as they come up for air. The few people I do run into on my walk are all wearing masks and gloves; the virus is prevalent in my small town, and people are right to take extra precaution. Some people hurry by when they pass on the trail but many will offer a wave and a friendly hello. There are two girls holding the ends of a rope between them, ensuring that they stay six feet apart. They are physically separated but at least socially connected in a way that video chat doesn’t allow. I wonder if this will be how we adapt to our post-pandemic world, or if this connection will be too tenuous to sustain our country. Nonetheless, this six-foot rope is a lifeline for us in these challenging times, and I hope that our positive communal and patriotic bond will last even when the next crisis occurs. ⁹

Works Cited

Coppins, McKay. “The Social-Distancing Culture War Has Begun.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 22 Apr. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/social-distancing-culture/609019/.

Guterres, António. “‘Now Is the Time for Unity.’” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/un-coronavirus-communications-team/%E2%80%9Cnow-time-unity%E2%80%9D.

Kaur, Harmeet. “Forget ‘Social Distancing.’ The WHO Prefers We Call It ‘Physical Distancing’ Because Social Connections Are More Important than Ever.” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Apr. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/04/15/world/social-distancing-language-change-trnd/index.html.

Tierney, Dominic. “Not Even the Coronavirus Will Unite America.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 25 Mar. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/not-even-coronavirus-will-unite-america/608698

A Word from Georgia

I first started writing this essay back in March of 2020, right after we were sent home for the semester and at the height of the pandemic. It has been interesting to see how things have changed over the course of just a few months and, sadly, how they haven’t changed much at all. When I was composing the essay, I was anxious about how the world seemed to be overrun by the pandemic; entire states were shutting down and the virus was spreading at alarming rates. At Great Meadows, I could walk and explore without feeling bombarded by the adversarial news reports flooding the media or disheartened by the tragic news of the day. My experience at the wildlife reserve was the motivation for my writing, and it gave me a much more positive and hopeful outlook than I had before.

I believe this essay was an important way for me to cope with my uncertainties and fears about the pandemic without getting overwhelmed. By being mindful of nature around me and how it has withstood conflicts over the course of history, I could feel optimistic about the world and our future; I noticed that the progression of the edits in my essay also reflected this hopefulness. As I observed the resiliency of nature, I was reminded that humans, too, have the capacity to rebound in the face of adversity, including this global pandemic. It is important to remember that as cases begin to surge again, we must renew our commitment to supporting each other while maintaining our ability to show this support through physical distance and adherence to safety measures. When I think of these directives, I am reminded of the girls walking in the Great Meadows with their six-foot rope and feel encouraged that there can always be a strong bond among humans even when we must be physically separated. Writing this essay allowed me to process my thoughts in a way that has strengthened my own resilience and reminded me to stay optimistic of the future.

From Professor Danielle Koupf

Commentary

When students returned home in March 2020, my expectations for the final essay in my “Rewriting” sections of WRI 111 shifted dramatically. I developed this assignment as an opportunity for students to “take an approach,” as Joseph Harris phrases it in his book Rewriting. Students would try out the stylistic moves and thought patterns evident in Emily Raboteau’s “Climate Signs,” an essay about Raboteau’s walks around New York City’s five boroughs as she follows an art exhibit that warns of the consequences of climate change. I initially imagined that students at Wake Forest would walk the campus, the nearby Reynolda trails, or downtown Winston-Salem and ponder any local issue that came to mind. When students scattered across the country and even the world, this assignment led them to walk their neighborhoods at home, places they thought they knew quite well—and inevitably ponder how their surroundings had changed with the pandemic.

Georgia chose to walk the Great Meadows wildlife refuge near her home in Massachusetts, and though she comments in her essay that she’d been walking the trail for her whole life, I believe she saw it in a new light upon embarking on this assignment. She uses this setting to reflect on freedom and political division during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. She acknowledges the frustration she feels in seeing people protest the safety measures of lockdown but also identifies signs of unity amidst the division and discord—by recognizing how her community has come together, too. I admire how Georgia, like Raboteau before her, lets her mind wander a bit as she wanders physically in space—she ponders politics and the environment and magnifies small details in her surroundings, such as the two girls holding a rope to ensure they stand six feet apart. Georgia also follows Raboteau in carefully integrating quotations from recent news reports, meaningfully incorporating photographs of her environment, and even concluding with a sense of hope—perhaps the bit I admire most during this time of immense conflict and struggle. I hope that readers of this essay can absorb a bit of that optimism themselves.

Assignment

Essay 4 Assignment

Inspired by Emily Raboteau’s essay “Climate Signs,” you recently took a ruminative walk and tried to take in your surroundings in a way that you might normally not (e.g., free of distractions, technology, phone calls, etc.). Drawing upon this experience, use Essay 4 to create an essay that is part narrative and part investigation of an issue, like Raboteau’s. As in Essay 3, here you are again taking an approach (as Joseph Harris says in Rewriting) by working in the mode of another author (Raboteau). Raboteau uses her travels around New York City and her viewing of an art exhibit to narrate her experience and ponder the effects of climate change; you will use your walk around a local setting to ponder an issue coming out of that walk. Your issue might be environmental or related to climate change, but it might also be related to public health, economics, social justice, politics, culture, etc. Be imaginative and think of this essay as truly exploratory, in the way that our early reading by Paul Lynch (“The Sixth Paragraph”) recommended.

You may continue working in the vein of the lyric essay, which Eula Biss introduced in “The Pain Scale” in our previous unit, if you wish. You may want to conduct some outside research to inform your thinking about the issue that you choose to investigate. Given that your essay will be an exploration, it’s fine if it does not have a thesis statement or central argument, but you should still aim to organize it in a thoughtful and logical, even if meandering, way. You may find it necessary to take another walk. You can even use this essay to reflect on the changes you observed from one walk to another.

Aim to write at least three double-spaced pages or more. Strong essays will demonstrate understanding of Raboteau’s project, will take risks and experiment, and will delve deeply into a complex, thoughtful discussion of a particular issue—though you need not offer a solution to that issue.

Editor Comments

1
Here Georgia presents a contrast between her familiar routine and new changes to her environment.
2
By clearly describing what she thinks about while walking the trail, Georgia keeps the reader in the present moment and gives us a glimpse into the complexity of current times.
3
Georgia weaves the past and present by mentioning the American Revolution and pointing out how much the state has changed.
4
Including quotes from recent news articles adds credibility while keeping the focus in the present.
5
Georgia uses progressively stronger language to emphasize her frustration.
6
Georgia uses the ideas of unification and togetherness to give the essay a more positive tone.
7
Georgia brings the essay back to Boston, using her own state as a microcosm for the nation.
8
Georgia re-centers the essay by bringing it back to her observations on the Great Meadows trail.
9
This poignant image of two girls and a rope becomes a metaphor for togetherness in a time of sorrow.