Creation of new parks and preservation of existing ones
Recreation and leisure activities are very critical dimensions (of the quality of life for all people, even those with disabilities) related to human development. Leisure and recreational facilities can be used as vehicles through which people can have fun, meet new people, and develop relevant skills and competencies. However, traditionally, recreation activities have been given and still are given low priority even today. A sizable group of people in the society is still limited to the segregated recreation and leisure choices. As a member of society pursuing a higher education, I have a responsibility to become a “citizen leader” so as to improve the quality of life for individuals pursuing recreation and leisure experiences. I am passionate about the environment, but my true call is to be a catalyst for change in society. The community, the states or the world might be my center stage, but I want to start small. My call for establishment and preservation of packs is purely out of the need to create positive change in society and nothing else. This call comes from the ever increasing stress related issues and diseases that tag along with the lack of resting and relaxing areas. Diversification of leisure and recreation activities is another thing that is dear to me.
After an interview with a psychological specialist at a hospital in Los Angeles by the name Tracy Knowles I became more convinced that there was need for action in this field. She claims that the hospital in the past five years has had an influx in discordant families. Children coming in with suicidal motives, parents coming in with marriage stresses and struggles have been on the line. The incidences of family strife have also increased. She is quick to point out that all these issues result from a very simple yet integral part of life; ample family time. The family is so busy with its day to day activities that it forgets that as a functional unit it has several components that have to work in unison. When the family lacks time to spend together, tension often rises and as a result, she says, we have a discordant family and society. She also asserts that, from the other sections of the hospital statistically, life style diseases have been on the rise. Non-communicable diseases such has obesity and some diabetes have also increased. All this stem from one common point; lack of physical exercise. Man has become involved in material pursuits, in life and forgets about taking care of himself instead. My role, therefore, as an educated member of society, is to create awareness for parks as not only recreational facilities but also as a way to curb most societal issues. History of parks as recreational facilities
The idea of using recreational and even leisure facilities ha not began the other day. Centuries back societies have been known to engage (in recreational activities) to relieve stresses relax. Avocation for twenty four- hour economies is all over the news, and politicians are seeking seats and re-election with promises of 24-hour economies. All that it points at is mounting pressure on the human species. We may want to achieve numerous goals in our lives and attain greatness, but occasional rests and breaks do not mean we have lost sight of our goals. The mind can be compared to a machine, though it is much more complicated, but still a machine rests, receives occasional servicing and even breaks down when overworked. The brain, on the other hand, cannot stop or breakdown, but it still has a way of showing that it is being overworked. It sends signals of fatigue and in most cases we just ignore these signals and keep going on. The eventual result is, in our pursuit of greatness and other goals we gradually become less effective with the lack of rest. After doing my research in a few states in the United States, I become convinced that parks were among the best ways of cooling off and letting off the steam. The day to day activities can be very tiresome and even monotonous, a person has to, at least once in a while, become take a break from the daily hustles of life. Youth in institutions of learning has been known to delve into drug and substance abuse to ease off their stresses. As a result, drug abuse has been on the rise, and this has resulted in increases, in school dropouts. In India, for instance, the number of school going children who commit suicide due to academic competition is the highest in the world.
A research by an Indian scholar clearly points at lack of stress relieving mechanisms. Lifestyle diseases are on the rise around the world and the reason being that more people are having poor dieting habits, but the most important point is that they lack physical exercising. The world today, is engrossed in the daily hustles of life that it forgets to care for itself. A number of diseases being treated just require physical exercises to be dealt with. For instance, heart related diseases that are related to diet can all be reduced if only the human race took time to exercise. Well, just like any other activity that requires commitment and people always find excuses to escape the reality. People often complain that they lack facilities and space, the bursting real estate business, ever growing urbanization and agricultural exploits. Space is always reducing, and the available one is being grabbed for buildings and construction. In as much as it is for development and for the greater good, we are missing a simple and most integral aspect of the development. Health in its simplest and tiniest form comes with exercise. The medical aspect should come in when there is no other option. In pushing for and being an activist for establishment of new parks and preservation of new ones am trying to come up with a solution for the excuses and complains about space that is needed for exercising. The environment around the park is usually very conducive and in most cases it is a total contrast from the normal city life.
The importance of parks as recreational and leisure facilities is an irrefutable fact. Taking a walk in the park, running to exercise or holding a picnic in these parks holds a significant role in the recreational field. In establishing these parks we ensure the society at large can get access to cheap, affordable and relevant recreational facilities compared to those that people have to pay for, like holidays and trips. Parks are not just an alternative to expensive leisure and recreational facilities but rather, exceptional and efficient relaxing tools. The establishment of such facilities, however, cannot be done single handedly for it is no mean task. The government, environmentalist, policy makers and the community itself have to play a role as stakeholders. Personally I think all work without play and rest is not good for the body and mind. An effective body system has to be relaxed and rest every once in a while, overworking can be seen to increase productivity but in actual sense it reduces efficiency as the mind gets tired, and its optimal level is reduced drastically. Recreation and leisure offer the body an opportunity to rejuvenate itself and recreate the energy lost during the hard work. In actual sense, the human mind and body has a breaking point. The stress we accumulate all through the day in our various professions or activities, slowly build up and with time we just break up. Recreation, therefore, allows the body to avoid reaching this point.
Taking tourism for example or a holiday in the Caribbean islands, the average family with a middle range income will not be able to afford these expenses; however, consider a family going for a simple picnic in the park, cheap as in maybe it still serves the intended purpose of recreation and relaxing. Upon realizing the important part that parks play as recreational facilities, I took to creating awareness and finding help of making the society get to know of its importance. I took to writing letters to various stakeholders in this field so as to marshal up assistance from any place that seemed to have the opportunity. Some letters have since then be replied, but I am positive that my campaign will somewhat be successful.
List of stakeholders
A number of society members and groups can play a significant role in my awareness campaign. I, therefore, developed a list of potential people or groups that would be important or even necessary for my campaign. They include; the Los Angeles State Assembly, the County Board, City Council members, members of Recreation and Park club and local magazines and newspaper houses
Letters and Responses
P.O Box 567
Northpark Avenue
Los Angeles
18/12/ 2013
Editor in chief
Los Angeles Daily
P.O Box 2345
Northpark Avenue
Los Angeles
Ref; Request for a chance to run an awareness campaign through your
Newspaper
I am running an awareness campaign that looks to advocate for the establishment of new parks and preservation of new ones in Los Angeles. After an outstanding and totally dumbfounding realization and discovery that recreation plays a very important role in the human life, I would like to share this information with the rest of the community. I need a large platform that will allow me to reach a huge population of people and your newspaper is one of the mediums I am hoping to use. With your permission I am hoping to use your newspaper, once every week to publish an article that will be in line with my campaign. I am hoping that five months will be enough for me to have a sound impact in society with my articles.
Letter of response
Editor in chief
Los Angeles Daily
P.O Box 2345
Northpark Avenue
Los Angeles
P.O Box 567
Northpark Avenue
Los Angeles
21/03/ 2014
Ref; Response for your awareness campaign request
Regarding your letter requesting a chance to run a media campaign using our newspaper as a medium of reaching your audience, I would like to inform you that our company as a whole has been looking for an avenue to give back to society through social corporate responsibility. We, therefore, accept your request and hope that in assisting you, we will assist the community at large. The idea is original and sounds very realistic; we will, therefore, support you fully in this endeavor. We hope that the campaign will be successful.
Concluding statement
The nature and value of parks in the human life as I have written can be proved beyond reasonable doubt. These are not just coincidences or random facts as Track Knowles confirmed to me. A realistic approach to the issue of parks lies in committing to the establishment of new parks in community centers around the state and gradually expanding towards the nation at large. A new crop of citizen leadership is slowly cropping up. I am not going to be left behind in this new awakening of bringing change to society and the world at large. It is my honest and genuine opinion that environmental awareness campaigns and the call for rehabilitation, establishment and preservation of parks are a sound and affordable solution to the existing societal issues as I have stated above. Recreation and leisure need not to be accorded a low priority that they currently receive since they are of great significance and importance to human life. Recreation and leisure are important as any other thematic issues, and for this reason it is time to accord the two the attention that they deserve.
