We all take pride in our cities, where we come from and ultimately, who we are.
Of the things we take pride in, there are a few such as hosting a stellar sports team, or having one of the best eateries ever, or simply for being the place you’ve grown up.
However, one thing that I believe everyone should be able to add to that list is aesthetic. I don’t quite mean that the whole town must appear spic and span. However, there are certain aspects of a city that can change its ultimate appearance that benefit the community as a whole.
What may that be? That would be our parks – the little neighborhood ones that those of an older generation had grown up on and some of whom happen to carry on the tradition by taking their children to.
Although it can’t be argued that our cities, such as Kent, completely ignore the maintenance of these places, we can imagine that it certainly isn’t a priority as there are most definitely other things in the list. This unfortunately leads to our parks ending up a little unbecoming. That is to say, not in top shape.
Litter is basically what I am getting at. Whether people do it on purpose or habitually, without due maintenance, litter builds up around these parks, making it look the opposite of welcoming and a place where we would take our children.
Aside from old park equipment, littering is something we can and should change. It is harmful to our fauna and flora, and believe me, cigarette butts should not be found in a place where children are meant to play or where we go to take our dogs on walks.
How may this situation be averted, whilst benefitting everyone? By creating cleanup crews. Agreed, that this may be cliché, but it is indeed something that is bound to work.
By having our children participate in such a program, we are only going to further their understanding on why it is important to take care of our parks. And for the older kids who are a tad bit more materialistic, they can certainly gather community service hours, which, mind you, is also a high school graduation requirement.
Having a “cleanup group” can certainly help.
If you don’t feel like creating a group or anything, then please join up on events like Green Kent Day, which is pre-organized and still helping the community.
– Shaheer Hashmi
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