Witness to a Sad Scene

Earlier today I was running along a paved trail near my house. About two miles into my run something completely unexpected happened. A deer bolted out of the woods to my right about 20 feet in front of me. It ran full speed into Markam Woods Road crossing the first lane but t-boned a car in the second lane. The sound was gut wrenching. The deer was on its side in the middle of the road still moving. Traffic continued to flow by. I was next to a church and found a woman inside and she called 911, but after calling we went out to check and the deer was gone. I continued on my run but my thoughts did not stray far from the shocking event that had just occurred in front of me.

My first thoughts as I continued down the trail were sad. It was horrible to see that happen to an animal. I became upset that things like this probably occur quite often in areas far from here. Humans have and continue to leave such an unnatural footprint on our world. We have created an infrastructure that is geared toward our convenience and our comfort with little thought of the consequences. There may have been a time when people lived harmoniously with all living things in this world, but it seems that now our existence is a detriment to everything that is not human. Not to say that human advancement has not been great, in many regards it has, but I think we've gone too far. In certain areas, especially in my immediate area, there is so much ugliness. Everything is built up with strip malls, parking lots, roads, highways, office buildings, restaurants, etc. Within the last century this area like many others in Florida was probably beautiful with an abundance of nature. I understand the need for cities and non-rural areas, but the urban sprawl covers too much of this marvelous nation. There are so many things humans could be doing better to live symbiotically with the rest of the world, but few remember or realize there is an alternative way of life.