Erasing

Today, Dave went to the park with sandpaper and sanded out the graffiti that was on my mom’s bench.  That post that I wrote on Friday, wound up getting so many comments and responses to it!  Most agreeing with me, that there is no reason for it.  Friends told me how it made them sad or angry.  Others agreed that it was just a thoughtless act. Some tried to justify graffiti – not it if was done in a destructive manner, but when done as art, calling it interesting and beautiful.  I can see their point of view IF it is done in the right element.

Unfortunately, these two things were destructive and pointless.  The bench was not hard to fix.  I am grateful to Dave for doing it.  That area of the bench is back to its original color.  In a few months, after it begins to weather again, no one will ever even notice that there was something there.  If only it were that easy to clean up the graffiti at my school.  That will take a lot more work I am sure.

I think what has crossed my mind most seeing this, is just wondering if the people who do this have any idea that they are inflicting sorrow on others.  If they really thought about it, would they feel empathy because what might seem meaningless to them, really has an impact on others.

 

Tagged: cleaning up graffiti, empathy, erasing, graffiti, mom's bench