Aloha, La Jolla!
Chalk art is whimsical. Chalk art is fun. Chalk art can change hearts and minds — just ask the folks who organized a series of community Chalk Up! events, along the La Jolla Bike Path, during the Black Lives Matter movement.
But can spontaneous strokes of colorful chalk, applied to a sidewalk canvas, inspire people to keep La Jolla neighborhoods litter and pup-poop free?
The thought crossed my mind last Wednesday as my pup, Winston, and I took our morning stroll down Nautilus Street. Bending down at frequent intervals to pick up discarded trash, we walked roughly 30 yards before I had gathered as much litter as I could carry: fast food wrappers, two beer cans, a lonely flip flop and a plastic water bottle.
As Winston and I continued our journey to the foot of Nautilus Street, I realized the trail of trash — and unretrieved pup poop— stretched from my house to the bluffs above Windansea Beach! Disgusted and disheartened, I pushed my haul into an overflowing trash can. Turning my face to Mother Ocean, I wondered about the people who seemed to take pleasure in making a mess of our beautiful street.
We ended our walk on an all-too-familiar note: an unwanted “gift” from an irresponsible pup parent, left under our wishing trees.
The gloves came off! Sprinting to a bucket of sidewalk chalk left outside by our artistic, community-minded neighbor, Megan deLeon, I grabbed a piece and scribbled out two messages on the sidewalk in front of our home: “Pick Up After Your Pups” and “Spread Love, Not Litter”.
One week later, the sidewalk in front of our home remains pup-poop and litter-free. Intrigued by my chalk-art experiment, and understanding my limitations as a chalk artist, I invited Megan and her daughter, Vega, to elevate the look and spirit of our neighborhood beautification campaign. Expressed in their joyful strokes of vibrant color, the spirit of a grassroots movement, launched by a welcoming bucket of sidewalk chalk, encourages passers-by to treat our lovely neighborhood with kindness.
I asked Megan what inspired her family to support the cause:
“I discovered when I stopped focusing on what was wrong, and began noticing the small, quiet details – the salt in the air, the crunch of gravel beneath my feet, the flash of wildflowers along the bike path – I naturally felt moved to leave every place I visited a little better than when I found it. I hope this project inspires others to do the same, because simple acts of kindness – like picking up litter, cleaning up after a pet, or leaving a bright, hopeful message for someone to discover – can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.”
What are your ideas for keeping La Jolla beautiful? Drop me a note at Molly@Windanseacommunications.com
Molly Bowman-Styles
La Jolla Village News newsletter host
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