On a blissful Sunday afternoon I chose to talk a walk through my new neighborhood to a nearby park. I wanted to hit a few baseballs, play catch, and enjoy the warm sun on my pale cheeks.
I noticed a lot about my new neighborhood on this half mile walk. I don't typically notice this much, but today I took a deep breath and inhaled my surroundings. As I took in every smell, sound, sight, and feeling around me, one thing that stood out was the lack of children playing outdoors.
Maybe the lack of children was because it was a lazy Sunday afternoon. But I took a second walk on a Wednesday evening, not long after dinner, and the neighborhoods felt just as deserted.
Sunday, as I arrived at the park, I wondered more at where the visitors were. The park is beautiful. There is a walking path surrounding the perimeter and the path is speckled with shaded benches for relaxation. A wooden pergola provides shade near a sand volleyball court and many trees surround a full sized basketball court. Toward the center of the park lies a small playground, which sits adjacent to a pavilion filled with tables, and a sandbox where you could build a gigantic castle. Yet, only my kids and I were there to enjoy this little oasis.
Where is everyone? How can we draw them outdoors to enjoy this beautiful park and the natural wonders that surround our city?
What suggestions do you have?
