In Order To Live, People Need Open Spaces And Here’s Why

When my sons were much younger, our family took a road trip to New York City. It was a great adventure, eating our way through the city, taking in all of the predictable sights, and enjoying a couple of shows.

In the middle of our trip, we took an excursion to Central Park, cycling through its many paths.

I’m always amazed at how enormous this park is – 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide.

Photo Credit: Alan Light, Creative Commons

It’s such a stark contrast to the rest of the city, where it seems that every square inch is accounted for.

More than 150 years ago, someone had the foresight more to create this space, knowing that without it, the rapidly growing city would most likely implode.

In order to live, people need open spaces.

We simply can’t live without a respite.

The park’s creators were right. Did you know that more than 40,000,000 people a year find their way to the park? Central Park works, giving people a place to breathe, to walk, and to play.

It offers a place to get away from the craziness and chaos of the city.

Can you imagine New York City without Central Park? I can—because I have been that city.

Let me explain.

Some years ago, in the middle of the night I awakened from a deep sleep, gasping for breath.

My heart was pounding at an irregular rhythm, and I was covered with a cold sweat. I jumped up and felt dizzy, wondering if I was having “The BIG ONE.” However, I had no pain, my arm wasn’t numb, and in about ten minutes, I felt somewhat normal.

But I was freaked out.

A visit to the doctor the next day showed my heart to be in good working order and there were no physical problems. He then asked me about my schedule, which I thought was an odd question, given the fact I had almost died the night before.

I described to him a typical day.

And as I shared my schedule, I realized my days started early and ended late, and were preceded and followed by catching up on emails and phone calls.

After all that work, I was involved in a book project I’d been working on.

Ah, he said. I think I know your problem. You had a full-on panic attack. There is no room in your life to breathe. And your body sent up a signal flare to let you know something’s wrong.

These are not exactly words a counselor type wants to hear.

Me? Having a panic attack? But when he said it, I knew he was right.

Little by little, any free time I had was swallowed up by things I felt had to be done. I had a lot to do and I was doing it, morning and night.

Every waking hour was devoted to some task and my soul started screaming for a break.

I think there are a lot of folks out there like me.

You might be one of them.

We get busy with life and work and projects, and before we know it, we become New York City without Central Park. What were once fields of green and tree-lined paths have been covered by buildings and asphalt.

We weren’t built to live like this.

We can exist like this, but we can’t live.

If this sounds like you, let me encourage you to start taking back the land. There are some buildings you’ve constructed that need to come down. Do you know what they are?

One by one, board by board, dismantle them, and in their place, plant some trees and grass, and maybe a path. Before long, you’ll be able to feel the cool grass between your toes as you enjoy the shade of an old oak.

And then you can breathe again.

In Order To Live, People Need Open Spaces And Here’s Why is a post from: Storyline Blog