I have lived in Newburgh for 3 years now and have grown to love the town and its people, but am heartbroken by the small piles of trash in my neighborhood. I heard someone say in a documentary about Newburgh, "If the government doesn't care, why should the people care?" I cannot relate to this mentality.

I care about my neighborhood regardless of what anyone else thinks. So much grandeur sullied by waste. I take long walks and pick up a few things here and there, mostly thinking that this is just bigger than me. But then I remind myself that anything is better than nothing! I wonder, if I do this everyday, maybe someone else who has the same concern, and thinks it is bigger than them will know they are not alone.
Occaisionally when I am on my walks, I get to meet a neighbor, or better yet, help them out with something like carrying a peice of furniture or maybe just some nice conversation. Some residents are concerned about rich people moving in and making things harder for them. I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination - just a working artist who enjoys a humble existence and using my time in pursuit of the things about which I truly care I often wonder, 'is every person a walking advertisement for their beliefs?'What message am I spreading?