Demobbed

The last Mob. Photo: Caitlin Nolan, editor of The Ditmas Park Patch

The Last Litter Mob took place yesterday in Prospect Park. You can read my post about it at Litter Mob Blog. And Frank posted his thoughts on Leaving the Woods, too.

Vince often asked me, How long are you going to keep doing this? He had been there for the first few mobs last year, in sticky, humid May. He hated it. He hated the used condoms, the human excreta, he hated the bottles and trash. He hated that the park was not looked after by the people paid to do it. He had no patience with the whole business. But he supported me, because he knew how I felt about it. He was worried about me, about scratches on my hands, the shit on my boots and possible contact with human bodily fluids. I told him that if I saw no obvious change in attitude from the decision-making stewards of the park after a year, I would quit.

He is ecstatic that it is over. I think he skipped around a little.

It may only have been three hours every other week, plus travel, but it was more in terms of coordinating volunteers (a sterling but tiny handful showed up regularly, but my mailing list is dozens and dozens long), as well editing images, writing about it and staying touch with media who contacted me, and the media to whom I reached out to advertise our activities. It could easily have become a fulltime, and fulfilling, job.

But I reached that year mark, and I kept my promise.

And now I must focus on my own work. Gardening and writing and taking pictures and cooking: Next fall my first book will be published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang. It's very exciting. And they need my manuscript and pictures long, long before...And yes, it will called 66 Square Feet. Big smile.

The woods will still be there.