2 weeks Ago
Portland has 70 parks in many different sizes and locations, ranging from the mother park, Deering Oaks, with acres of rambling green space and winding waterways, to the grandfather, classically designed Lincoln Park, with its French fountain (circa. 1866). In between those two anchors there are playgrounds, vest pocket parks, vista parks like the Eastern and Western Promenades, Payson Park with its myriad of trails and Harbor View overlooking Casco Bay, Frank E.
Reilly has written several plays, essays and short stories since moving to Portland from San Francisco 22 years ago. He also serves as president of Friends of Lincoln Park. There is Fort Sumner with its picnic tables and city views, Fort Gorges Island and many, many more, any one of which can be located on Google, each providing its own individual design and pleasure.
Parks are for people, and they date back to 17th century England, allowing the people to escape from their daily routines into an atmosphere of green space and tranquility. A place to relax with a lunch, a friend or something to read or, if it’s a playground, to watch children having a good old fashioned time. Many of Portland’s parks present music festivals during the summer and early fall seasons, extending its environment to easy entertainment and meeting new people.
Listen, if you keep your voices down you could even have a serious discussion on politics. Studies have shown over the years that parks are beneficial to relaxation. Trees offer some protection from the fumes, making breathing easier.
They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air, a form of photosynthesis. They also muffle the sounds of traffic and provide pleasure for the eyes. And when you have a fountain nearby you can allow the trickle of water to lull you into a peaceful state of mind.
People today need an escape from negative news (which we do have to be informed of), road rage, street anger, sudden unemployment, difficult housing accommodations, high prices for food, stock market fluctuations and now tariffs. First there was COVID-19 and the insidious lockdown separating people from enjoyment outside the home, and from each other. This was surpassed by the recent election, which has caused a deeper fissure, even more drastically and primarily political.
My feeling is that we as a society have to make a major adjustment in our expectations with this new political regime, as we have with others in the past, or drive ourselves insane for the next four years trying to figure it out. We are going to need to be tolerant with the many decisions being made with the hope that in the long run they will provide us with workable solutions. America and being an American comes first, standing together and protecting our Constitution and the strongest country in the world.
Years ago in California there were sayings about “Go with the flow, smell the flowers, stop for awhile in a park, any park, and linger, you’ll live longer, etc.” Don’t you think it might be a good idea to make an addition to our parks’ signage: “No Alcohol. No Smoking.
NO POLITICS.” You see, parks, people and politics can get along together ..
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