By Jennifer Thompson
As published in the Narcoossee Navigator, February 2009
Central Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and there is good reason for it. Millions flock here every year to visit the house of mouse or to ride the movies, but what about those of us that call this growing, (mostly) sunny region home? For residents like you or I, we have to look for things a little closer to home. Since losing weight and making healthier choices are often top of mind for most of us when New Year’s Resolutions are in full swing, it’s important that we take advantage of what outdoor recreation our communities have while we have them.
Recreation is important for not only the health of you and your family but the health of the community you live in as well. Think back to the last time you were at a neighborhood park (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Remember the friendships that were forged on the ball field or the bonding between family members and neighbors as they scored the winning run or touchdown or remembered to bring the cups. Whatever the case may be, relationships are developed through engaging interactions – from that we can determine personal strengths and weaknesses, identify leaders and followers and even personality traits such as which one of your neighbors gives up too easily and which one takes flag football a little too serious.
The point is, whether you are enjoying team sports such as soccer or baseball or individual ones like biking or fishing, when you exercise you become healthier. It’s proven that healthier people are generally more attentive, focused and willing to spend more quality time with their loved ones. They are just plain happier. What you do is up to you, but it’s important to take advantage of these spaces to show your community leaders that they are appreciated and they are needed as they become harder and harder to fund. We already know that we have more kids in our community than anywhere else in the region. We already know that neighborhoods are nearing build-out and many organized sports leagues for children are busting at the seams. Yet for all this growth, for all these people, we still have the same problem we’ve had for the past several years – recreational space is hard to come by and is now even harder to fund.
That is why I urge you to get outside, if not for your health or a desire to strengthen your community, than do it for the sheer fact that if you don’t do it we may lose what little space we already have. With budgets getting tighter and numerous services being trimmed or cut completely, it is even harder for governments to afford the people and equipment necessary to maintain something such as a park or recreational facility – especially if they aren’t being used very often. In just a few years there is a very real chance we could find ourselves stopping to say, “I remember when there used to be a park there.”
