The most free? I feel the most free when I'm running. When I'm making my own pace on the pavement or the dirt or the sand. When sound of the rythm of my feet hitting the pavement takes me into my own world where it's just me and the road. That's where I feet the most free.

I can see. I can hear. I can smell. I can taste. I can speak. I can smile. I can laugh. I can cry. I can walk. I can run. I can dance. I can enjoy life!!!!!!

I remember the first thing I ever planted. It was a blue rose bush. It was in front of our house on 75th Street, in Los Angeles,  CA.

When I was 7 years-old, my mother bought three rose bushes. One for my sister, one for her, and one for me. We each dug a hole and planted our bushes, hoping they would beautify the perimeter of our house, which was already overflowing with spearmint.

Weeks went by and nothing happened. The plants didn't sprout flowers, no leaves grew, no progress was made, then one spring day I noticed my sister's bush began to produce.

"Mom, look!" I said, "Sunni's flower is growing." She looked at me and said, "It is, isn't it?"
I was secretly jealous. Why was her plant flourishing and mine looked line someone's neglected little thorn stump?

Pretty soon, my mother's bush started blooming. I was really jealous then. Mine was the only one that hadn't produced a single leaf.

"What's wrong with my roses?" I thought. "How come I don't get to see any blue roses in front of the house?" I wondered.

It wasn't fair! I wanted pretty flowers too.

By the end of spring and summer I had come to terms with the fact that I might not have a "green thumb." I remembered having my own patch of a vegetable garden years before the rose bush, and I was in charge of the spinach. The spinach grew.

It was up to me to figure out what it was I could grow.

Now I know what I can grow. I can grow interest in a topic that some people didn't think was a serious issue before they spoke to me or read something I have written.

I can make people aware that there are alternate ways of doing things they do everyday, whether is living, eating, growing your own food.

I can grow peoples knowledge that they too, can do something to change to world.
I can grow my son's interest in being a dirt worshiping tree hugger like his mommy.

What can you grow?

I was on the freeway going from my desert town to the San Fernando Valley when I noticed the unthinkable.

There were bottles and cans lining the freeway. They were strewn about as if they belonged there.

"How had I not noticed these things before?" I asked myself.

"How can someone just throw these things out onto the freeway?" I asked myself.

The answer was appalling. t's not noticeable because it's everywhere. It's like second nature for some people to throw any and everything out of their car or truck window onto the freeway or any empty stretch of roadway.

As I was stuck in traffic I seriously considered putting my car in park, getting out and picking up every single piece of litter of the freeway. Then common sense got to me.
"That's too dangerous." I thought.

Then pessimism crept in, "So what if you do? It's just going to be littered up tomorrow. People don't care about the planet."

I pushed those thoughts from my mind and then wondered, "What can I do?"

What can I do to make a difference? I'm not doing enough. I can always do more.

So...what can I do?

I could sign up for or even start an organization that targets litter on California roadways. I know the litter removal program in California is in effect but it only targets 10 percent of litter going into Southern California storm drains. It doesn't encompass the many freeways and highways in the Central Valley and Desert towns in California.

That is helpful, but is it enough?

What else can I do?

I can rally a group of friends who want to target freeways and perhaps highways or even city streets, to clean up the polluted areas of the 14fwy, the 5fwy, the 405 fwy, Pacific Coast HWY, the 101 fwy, and any other freeway that one of us may be driving on at any given point in time.

I can inform people about what I have seen, ask them for support and hope they are as eco-conscious as I am, or at least concerned about the future of our planet.

I can make sure that everyone I know never uses the freeway or highway as their own private disposal site. Especially since I know the location of 7 recycling centers.

I can utilize my campus recycling facilities for a place to take any unwanted or unneeded "anything" that is recyclable.

I know what I want to do. I want to do everything that I have mentioned. I want to make sure that I am active in changing the face or our freeways and highways. I want to beautify our roadways and be sure that the only thing on the side of the freeway is the natural scenery that mother earth provided for her commuters to enjoy.

I want to make sure that my son doesn't say, "Hey mommy. Someone threw their soda can out there. Can I throw my (insert noun here) out there too?"

I am always interested in hearing ideas as to how to make the world a better place. Remember, we are the ones who have to live here.

Would you want trash in your house? I wouldn't, so I'm going to make sure it's not in my back yard either.

The last work of art I saw was a thought-provoking piece by an artist named Thomas Cruz.  The show was called "The Fall of the Rise". It was at Cal State Univ. Fullerton. The piece was drawing of, a card, a King of Hearts, only the king was a soldier in uniform. The top half was saluting and the bottom half was holding a gun to his own head. When I saw it it gave me goosebumps.  The irony of the piece was so blatant and beautiful. I will never forget it as long as I live.

As I look at my surroundings, my bedroom in particular, I am disturbed by the amount of crap that I have.
I have a lot of things, and most of them are things I don't need.

I am looking at video game system. Do I need it? No. I've played it a total of about seven times. I went and bought a game for it because my sister had it, I played it and liked it. Did I need it? No! Did I want it? Yes. Did I need it? No.

I see dozens of purses, most of which I haven't used in years. Did I need them when I bought them? Unfortunately, no. When I saw them I really, really wanted them which translated into to need for me. The truth is I didn't need them and I still don't need them.

I have shoes in my closet that hurt my feet. Do I need them? No! I loved them when I bought them. Some I've worn once. Others I've stopped wearing all together. Did I need them when I bought them? Honestly? No, but I really, really wanted them. Will I wear them again? Most of them, probably not. I don't need them.

I have clothes in my closet that may never see the light of day. Do I need them? No. Did I need them when I bought them? Perhaps, but they have served their purpose and now I don't need them anymore. (Plus, some I can't fit anymore.) Besides how many pairs of pants, shirts, and underwear does one person REALLY need?

I have about 10 different lotions, body butters, and other things that smell good. Do I need them? No! I haven't used most of them in months. They smell nice, and they're in a pretty package but I don't need them.

I have boxes of "stuff" in my closet. Do I need those boxes? No! I don't know what is in most of those boxes. That proves my theory that I definitely don't need whatever it is that is in there.

I have junk that sits and collects dust. Sure some of it is pretty and some of it nostalgic, but is any of it functional? More than likely, no. Do I need it? No!

I have a television. Do I NEED it? The truth is no. Do I like it? Yes. Is it a necessity? No! It is still a luxury and not everyone has to be in front of the tv every day.

The same goes for the dvd player. I enjoy watching my movies and tv show season collections but do I need it? No. And do I need the dvd's? No.

I have make-up and fingernail polish. Do I need it? No! To satisfy my own vanity, I bought those items. I rarely even wear make-up. When I bought it I wanted it. Did I need it? No!

I have a computer. Do I need it? That is debatable. I am a student, I am a writer. For those stand-points I need it. Do I need it to live? No.

With all the items I don't need staring in the face, I have to thing about the things I do need.

What do I need?

I need my family and friends. I need the warmth and compassion that only they can give me. The items I don't need can't provide for me what human contact can.

I need the laughter and positivity that comes from those who believe in me. I need the unconditional love and support that only those who know and love me can give me.

So what do I do about all this clutter? Do I just keep collecting, adding to my already cluttered life? Or do I clean house, keeping only what I need and ridding myself of things I don't?

My finances. My job doesn't pay enough. I have too many depts. I don't know how I am going to pay for next semester. And they just keep calling me. But I'm positive. Things will get better. As they say..."It's always darkest before the dawn."  And the sun is about to rise for me!

My valley is far from green. It's brown, but I choose to go green anyway.

In the Antelope Valley, Mojave Desert, many of us choose to go green. How do I go green?

I recycle. I force my co-workers to recycle.

When I saw that my coworkers were throwing bottles and cans in the trash instead of following the 3R's I took charge.

I grabbed a trash bag and made an announcement, "From now on, all aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles go in here!"

I put the bag under my desk, and it has been successful in forcing my coworkers to be proactive and recycle.

Occasionally I get a comment about my "trying to save the planet," to which I reply, "Hey, your children and grandchildren will have to live in this world. Do you want them to have a beautifly planet or not?."

My eco-friendliness sometimes results in eyes rolling but I feel good about doing good.

When one co-worker hands me a can or bottle he raises his fist and says, "Go Green!" to which I smile and say, "That's right!"

All in all, all I know every little bit helps.

So when I say, "How green is your valley?"  what will be your response?

Everyone will never agree on any one thing