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January 10, 2003
Monkey in the Middle
Out again in the late morning light. I slide through the slush in the park. I see people out with their dogs, the greyhounds looking distinguished in their protective jackets. My dog likes to watch the squirrel monkeys from the outside of the children's zoo. The zoo is closed on weekdays in the cold months. I read online that the animals are native to the rainforest, and I wonder how they feel being in a cage in the sleet and snow of London's winter. They are endangered so I guess humans are allowed to keep them wherever they may.
I like living in cities. Yet I always find myself inside them in the most un-city like places. The parks, paths and waters of each town are where I can be found most of the time. Whenever I have lived in a true wilderness, I craved the masses of the big city. Or maybe it was just the easy life of quick cappuccinos, DSL, streetcars and hookers. (OK, maybe not the hookers.) I love reading about adventure racing, mountain climbing and wilderness explorers, but I prefer my own outdoor experience controlled and limited: at the end of a long hike I want a hot meal, sweet-scented bath and soft bed. I am grateful for the town-planners who had the foresight to create little pockets of nature in the city. Even if we have to stow little monkeys in them.
Posted by shannon at January 10, 2003 12:20 PM