Cruise Control by Pinky Concha Colmenares
Public parks and nature parks will never go out of style, no matter the theme parks and malls that offer attractive entertainment and more comfortable amenities. Nature offers the best attractions of a park – green grass, shady trees, colorful shrubs, water ponds, rock gardens. Twinkling lights tracing posts and trees cannot beat that. Neither can clowns, marching bands or heart-stopping carnival rides.
We’ve seen how theme parks have developed, attracting guests that fill up every space during holiday and summer breaks. Yet, public parks have not lost their share of crowds. It’s free, offers wide spaces to roam or to picnic, and it’s usually located in the middle of the city, or is accessible by public transportation.
In this issue, we feature three popular public parks – Rizal Park, Quezon City Memorial Circle and La Mesa Eco Park and Nature Park. La Mesa Nature Park has developed an area for bike trails and forest walks.
We’ve all spent hours in those parks but the visits the staff did for this story rolled out new and interesting emotions.
Lorraine’s visit to the Rizal Park inspired feelings of patriotism. Anjo’s and Aris’ trip to the La Mesa Nature Park sparked their affection for speed, riding skill and endurance. Johannes’ New Year’s Day walk in the La Mesa Eco Park slowed his pace for spiritual reflection. And my trek around the Quezon Memorial Circle roused happy memories of pleasant afternoons in the park with my three children, two of them now with their own families.
One memory of the Circle that always brings a laugh when we remember is the time a thunderstorm and heavy rain caught us while we were in the middle of the park. The girls were about 8 and 5, frightened by the thunder and lightning more than getting wet in the downpour. They laugh at the way we marched to my beat which went – “walk, walk, walk faster!”
Public parks are like that. They seem to be standing there forever. When you have the time to step into its rim, the sight of green grass, a wooden bench, an ice cream cart always brings a string of memories.
Why don’t you step into a pleasant memory next weekend? Visit the park.
Have a pleasant journey!
