My childhood parks
2 years ago I sat down on a bench in Granville overlooking one of the greatest parks of all time; “Wild Wood”. Sitting I could hear the noise of creaking as the old wood attempted to rest. A painful reminder of the splinters that I used to get as a kid. The swings that used to bring my feet to the sky blowed in the suttle wind. Everything felt the same except for one thing, the park was empty. 2 years later 2018 the park had been destroyed. The community had made the decision to work together in renovating the new park. Although the old park is held dear to many Granvillians hearts, We were determined as a unit to create a safer and similar experience for the upcoming generations. The Wildwood renovation is only a small fraction of the improvements that Granvillians has made to Granville. While there are many indications that Granville enjoys maintaining a frozen community, through their parks you can see a strive for community improvement and safety.
When piecing together the purpose of a Granvillian, it can be hard to determine what their community means as a whole. Taking a closer look at their parks can be an easy way to determine what it means to be a Granvillian. One park in particular comes to mind when I think of a Granvillian; The Opera House Park. At first glance of the park, an outsider would assume it to be an open lot. A closer look at the park transforms it into a message of improvement. Flowers and trees blow in the wind as the cars pass by. Families are often seen having picnics surrounded by honeybees as they pollinate the plants. A moss covered bell lies in the grass with the name Opera House Park. The Opera House Park is dedicated to the great fire of the old Opera House in 1982 (GranvilleHistory). The bell represent much more than a memorial for the Opera House. The bell, flowers, and trees represents the overwhelming message of “growth”. Granville built the park as a way of pushing Granvillians forward from the past. The parks size is made small to represent a message that all Granvillians follow. Persist past our mistakes and focus on improvement made for the future.
The Granville Opera House depicts a wide variety of messages through it’s symbolism. The first thing that an individual notices is the old bell laying in the grass. On the bottom of the bell lies a small layer of moss. In the center of the bell a large crack. The bell is small in compared to the catastrophic event that occurred. Granville did this on purpose in an attempt to symbolize that Granvillians favor the safety of the future over the past events. The crack in the bell symbolizes the preservation of the idea. That at once Granville was broken, and the community should always look back at the mistakes that we made.
The second thing that an individual will notice is the type of people visiting the park. Picnics with families enjoying food and the company of their relatives. You hear laughter from the kids as they play through the grass. This depicts how All Granvillians operate as one unit. It could also stand for the focus of Granvilles necessity of having children.
The nature that surrounds the park provides a message for the community of Granville. Every year the community replants new flowers in the park. A small thin layer of moss lies on the bottom of the tree trunks. In this a person can depict that a Granvillian represents the strive for growth. In which every person should provide and nourish the community.
Granville is a community that lives through the Opera House park. Are there any other parks that represent the overall message; “what it is mean to be a Granvillian?” do these other parks represent the same morals that the community of Granville shall follow? How do these parks use different techniques to emphasize the roots of change?
