Exploring experiences 

Abstract

This essay focuses on my experiences based on a two hour observation of a nearby park. The essay touches and explains many things; such as, the environment and/or energy of this place. Things and people that summed up the park, behavioral observations noted, as well as interactions amongst the people in the park whom I was observing. Also as the title describes the point of this essay was to describe the sense of place of this chosen area( a park), and make connection to the sense of most parks in general.

 

There is something about parks that brings so much peace to the majority of the humans. When we are often stressed, we are recommended to take a walk to the park, when we are looking for a place to relax, we visit the park, when we are happy and contempt at peace, we usually visit a park. Now what makes a park so special? Have parks been designed and constructed under the idea of providing us with flexibility to explore? Or have we simply accommodated ourselves and became territorial over our space at the park and decided how and what use to make of it? There is not one single typical structured behavior at parks, because there is just so many things that one can do and expand. Some people choose to go to the park to exercise, others to relax and nap, others to be alone and escape the crowd, while others such as teenagers and kids visit parks with the intention to socialize with other people of their age.

My experience

In my sense of place, I chose to visit and observe a nearby park, a playground to be specific.  I enter the park and my first instinct before I start observing and annotating is that I needed to find a comfortable spot where to sit.  As soon as I am entering the park I see an empty bench, across from it there was another greyish dull bench where a couple was sitting while holding their little chihuahua. As a dog lover I saw the spot and thought to myself “well I have found the perfect spot!” Until I hear the dog growling at people walking by, held by the leash still by his presumably owner while being pulled back and told to be: “nice”.   This explained a lot why that “perfect” bench was unoccupied, so it was time for me to find a new real “perfect” spot, without growling dogs threatening to sink their teeth on me and savor the unusual taste of jeans and. Short after I finally found a bench, it was right across the playground bars, with a black stroller parked next to it.  It was the perfect spot for what I went to do, observe… It was also the perfect spot for someone trying to get a tan, which made me skeptical to stay at first, but since it was 6 o’clock I decided to simply stay there and wait for the sun to go down.

What summed up the park?

There were people of all ages, from crying and laughing babies, to toddlers enjoying the swings, to kids running around and hanging from the monkey bars to adults supervising them or just using their phones, to grandparents with their little grandchildren. Children were acting carefree playing with much creativity, doing unconventional things in “conventional” things, setting their mind free and letting their mind and body explore.  It almost seemed as if the more they acted in unconventional ways; like laying on their stomach on the swings or climbing from the sides of the slides through what to do them seemed as the most “dangerous” and “wild” side. It seemed like the more they did things in odd ways, disobeying the unwritten rules of how to use things, the more merit they would attribute to themselves, with proud stares and smiles they would recognize this as some sort of accomplishment, as if nourishing their egos from being “different”.

Parents and adults

When it came to parents, most seemed to be relaxed and laid back. Many appeared to have just arrived from work and decided to take some time to take their kids to the playground, carrying their backpack on their back with pants flooded of paint stains and dissimulated holes, and accidental pain and mud decorated timbs. That Park seemed to be an escape for most of the worries adults tend to face on a daily basis. Their facial expression was different from what they show when regularly walking on the streets or simply waiting for the train. They seemed to be receiving the breeze of September in the playground of their choice as a relaxing massage to their mind and soul. Their stares and thoughts went far and deep, being physically present but having their mind on a trip outside of worries and perhaps inside of dreams and hope.

I also took the opportunity to divide these parents into categories. Older kid’s parents to be more specific seemed to be more relaxed, as if having taken their kid to the playground was not only to entertain them, but also to distract themselves. By the other hand we had the parents and guardians of the younger kids- babies and toddlers. These parents seemed to be less relaxed, but more present. They were not only physically there but also mentally there, their faces and actions looked to be as if they were enjoying the activities with their children and creating a bond through play time. These parents also looked like they did not just go to the playground to let their babies enjoy, but for them to enjoy their babies.

Space & Environment         

The environment seemed to have offer a safe space, neither kid or parents seemed to be alert of their surroundings or in the lookout for any suspicious activity. They looked trusting and sure they would be just fine. There were also dogs on leashes just sitting there next to their owner as an ornament, except for one lucky golden fluffy puppy. He was being taken by his little human to every slide and even to the swings! The little girl seemed to want her little puppy to enjoy and experience what it was like to slide down the shiny metal palette. This playground located in Queens and many other parks worldwide, seem to offer the comfort and peace no other place can.