On Parks

As we approach a full year of quarantine due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve found myself thinking back on the last twelve months. I’m not saying anything new or unique to me when I say that it’s been the hardest year of my life. I know many of you probably feel the same way. We’ve missed out on so many chances to hang out with the people we love, so many concerts we couldn’t go to, so many baseball games we couldn’t attend. All of it has made me appreciate the things I took for granted because they were just always there. The flip side (and it's a pretty small side) is there are a few things that I never took advantage of that are now a big part of my life, and one of those things are parks.

Before the pandemic, I really didn’t spend much time at parks. It’s a real shame because Los Angeles is chock full of beautiful parks. I’d drive by Griffith Park or all the grassy areas around the Rose Bowl and wouldn’t think twice. Sure, they housed some adult league sports I play and they were always teeming with cute dogs but would I spend a sunny Saturday afternoon there? Hell no! I was going to sleep in and spend the day on the couch because I’m lazy!

Now, though, things couldn’t be more different. Since large gatherings inside are a major no-no, and going to the movie theater/bar/anywhere fun are definitely off limits, where’s a guy to go to hang out with his friends in an out-door, socially distanced, COVID safe environment? I hope you’ve guessed it by now, but in case you haven’t, it’s the park. 

Parks are amazing. We spend so much time inside, staring at screens, surrounded by metal and concrete and drywall that it feels unbelievably refreshing to grab a blanket, maybe a sandwich or some tasty beverages and just go to the park. Especially now, when we all feel so isolated, there’s something strangely normal about parks. Even in the best of times, you’d find a spot that’s way more than six feet away from other people and just enjoy the fresh air. 

You can go by yourself and bring a good book. You can go with your significant other and have yourself a nice little date. You can meet your friends there and sit in a weird little circle and talk about how even though things are still bad, the future looks brighter every day. However, you do it, just do it! 

In our world where everything is full of advertisements, sponsored tweets, yearly subscriptions, it blows my mind that parks are just FREE! There’s so much green space, and they just let you RUN AROUND or roll in the grass! And nobody charges you for it! 

So, while this pandemic has taken so much from so many of us, I have to remind myself of the little things, the small joys that I’ve discovered (or rediscovered) during this year. And going to the park, with basically no plan other than relax on a sunny day is absolutely one of them.