Urbanista Lesson #4: Make yourself open.. To Urban Open Spaces…

Last Sunday morning, we got the chance to walk to McDonalds because that’s the only day we could get to bond together and just having that relax breakfast to the waterfront. On our way to breakfast, I can’t help to notice group of uncles and especially I can’t help but notice a couple on the bench staring at the sky … Wait, the sky? What’s up there, what’s with the sky that they get to stare unendingly at the gray-blue bright clouds?... I see, now I get it, they get to stare their caged birds hanging on well-distanced tall poles.

Open spaces can be any form, size and shape. Like on the picture taken below, Yes, it is purely a green open space with poles raising above it, but area like this is where people get to socialize an know their community, their neighbors, their friends and who knows same bird-hobbyist like them. They can get to bond and have that “will” to interact with other people. According to Telegraph News, Social Isolation has dramatically increased in year 2013 and even a cause to major health problems. Recently, they even mentioned “Loneliness” to be even deadlier than obesity which post as a public health hazard especially aged 52 and above. It is in this age bracket when most of them started to frustrated in life, maybe because you only get to work and work for the mortgages, loans and credit cards etc. and you haven’t alloted something for your retirement plans because you still have a kid which is still 16 years old which needs your financial support. Basic life scenario in an urban city life. Regardless of what lifestyle or what age are you in now, social interaction is a NEED! Being connected socially to your community, neighbors and friends is crucial to everybody’s well-being.

Again, this is Elsa, encouraging you to make yourself open,open to urban open spaces and now signing off in School of Thoughts!

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Unknown