Man’s mark unwelcome

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To the Editor:

I never expected to see signs of mass media in the Vineyard. When I sighted the sign “Look how much I adore you” from the bus window as we entered Vineyard Haven, I was shocked. I thought I left the voices and images that flood city life behind in Boston.

Anyway, I spend a lot of time in the Vineyard just walking. I have been here since January, enjoying the bounty of nature, walking through the woods. The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank has done an amazing job connecting paths and trails. One can virtually stay in the woods all day, avoiding all farms or traffic.

The Vineyard is near and dear to my heart in this noisy world of technology. It is becoming harder and harder to find a quiet space. A scrap of quiet space is a luxury, free of manmade images and voices.

I would like to express my gratitude to all those men and women that work to maintain the integrity of nature as she is. No unnecessary signs. Only discrete markers to assist walkers in navigating the lovely trail sites. Pure beauty.

If I were seeking inspiration outside of nature, perhaps I would visit a museum, an art gallery, watch an uplifting film, or read a book.

What I love about the Vineyard is the beauty of mother earth. Nature. When the sky merges with the sea. The color blue. Or the sounds of a roaring surf. And the color green. Walking woods, hearing the wind. Feeling it. And the rays of sun. The ever changing colors. Light is what it touches. Golden leaves touched by the sun.

Let’s keep some space free of man’s mark. Private space. Empty space. The joys of mother nature. Let her be free.

Rachel Schmoker

Boston and Vineyard Haven