Simplicity is Beauty

Today’s world is saturated with technological advancements. The execution of our natural beauty is irrelevant; the nature of technological evolution has rapidly changed our perception of aesthetics that are encountered everyday. Throughout the course of a day, the minute-by-minute details that give life it’s renowned uniqueness, are quickly overlooked. The quality of life is slowly digressing, for the simplest things are taken for granted; if one continues to only indulge themselves in the mass-marketing products, and if one continues to ignore the beautiful necessities around us; if one prefers efficiency over value; then one will soon realize that there will be no meaning behind the words that one says and the feelings that one is trying to portray.

The new bricks above the doorway gleam with dreadful anticipation like a brand new bike that has never been ridden. The plants are potted to perfection. The house numbers are tattooed on the front of the bleak house, like serial numbers waiting to be scanned. There is not one speckle of mistake on the crisp, clean driveway. Sheer perfection is this new home, not a nick, dent, or flaw on this painstakingly tan house, with the yellow trim and white picket fence surrounding the premises. Not one indicator of accident is displayed. Throughout the neighborhood, parents and children walkup their stone pathway like inmates. The houses are lined up in rows and built out of extraneous metals, steel beams, and scraps of unwanted metals, yet are executed with artificial passion. These new cells are clean, freshly sterilized, with just a touch of lavender. Everything that can be seen to the naked eye is on the contrary: the oak tree in the front yard becomes thin and wiry, the faded children’s swing droops on a pathetic branch, clearly unable to support it’s own weight, much less that of a decayed, rotted piece of lumber. The park down the road is old and broken, the smell of teen angst and rebellion smothers the frail slides and the feeble monkey bars, originally intended for youthful play, now reduced to disorder and resistance. The weeds crack and crawl through the splintered surface of the pavement, unattended, and left to slowly destroy any remainder of innocence. The flowers dead, the streets deserted, what was once brand new and invincible, is now abandoned, and the epitome of an abused, disintegrated jail cell.

Yellow blossoms spurt out of the fresh, vibrant stems. The flowers are supported by broad, thick stalks that protect the innocent blossoms from ever reaching the soggy ground. There is moisture in the air, hovering over the field, left lingering for the sun to burn it off, then revealing tens of thousands of mustard blossoms. The hustle and bustle of the cars continuously driving by are hushed, no longer a distraction to one’s complex mind. The tangled, torn, barbed-wire fence looms around the property, seemingly uninviting, cold, and harsh; this is a misconception. It is the complete opposite of a jail cell, a wide, free, open space full of luminous flowers. Every bud is an individual, with varying shades of yellow, ranging from crème to canary. The mud is loose under one’s feet, squishing and sliding under pressure. Walking through this field, one hears the snaps and crackles of the fallen stalks, forgotten in the sea of yellow. The miniscule, dainty, dewdrops endure the long night’s rest burrowed between the feathery petals and awaken to a clear, sunny day.

As time progresses, humans instinctively need to find more land that is suitable for their living conditions. As more people inhabit an area, the more often they find it necessary to destroy all natural habitat as they find it necessary for more living space. Of course, there is a cause and an affect to this theory. With decreasing amounts of land, come decreasing amounts of animals and natural predators, which greatly affects the small food chains and niches that thrive in the fields of Petaluma. Not only is the environment affected when it comes to new buildings and construction, the social class benefits from these new buildings; every door that is constructed is the equivalent to an opportunity for a family in desperate need. Although, these new doors can be a death sentence, possibly putting strain on the owners financially, as well as denying other people a chance to have a home.

There are two types of beauty, natural and man-made. Most views of beauty are all the same, skewed, and stereotypical: pretty, charming, and cute. Yet beauty can be obtained on much different levels, such as simplicity and serenity. This mustard field does not attract many people as the new building complex forty feet away might, yet in many ways, the simple nature is more inviting, and in essence, more beautiful.

-Madeline