From our inception, nothing may be more American than division and our struggle to unify the whole. Pilgrims were Puritans a segment of Separatists from the Church of England which had splintered from Catholicism. The Founding Fathers struggled with who would be granted the right to vote and deemed only landed white men to be worthy of the honor. In large part, they also failed to see even a glimmer of their own humanity in Native Americans and slaves. Need I continue? I can only surmise that so much of our division must be attributed to ignorance, arrogance and fear.
Yet, I take heart that division has continually been challenged throughout our history. The process has been painful, slow, incomplete, and repeatedly challenged, but we do engage in a process of civil engagement and overwhelmingly agree that this is invaluable itself. Further, I remind myself that from the very beginning our nation has deemed public spaces to be forums of great importance. Libraries, parks, schools, playgrounds, museums, and recreation facilities were built to eradicate divisions and create community with the well being of the public in mind. What do these public spaces have in common? They are supported by tax dollars and governed by a board to serve the public interest. They are open to all on a voluntary basis and generally free of charge, particularly to those in greatest need.
I am a product of public spaces. I went to public schools and a public university. I have been a regular patron of libraries my entire life. I spent numerous hours at our local park, playing on the playground, swimming in the pool, sledding, skating, taking classes, cheering teams, and enjoying fairs of all sorts. I made annual pilgrimages to the museum with my family or on school field trips. And, I have tried to engage my children in these same practices in hopes that they might also one day value public spaces for their contributions beyond the self to the larger whole.
Public spaces are venues for the common good. Here again, the common good rises to the fore of my thoughts. Last night, I attended my younger daughter's symphony orchestra concert and fine arts showcase at her public high school. I also organized the refreshments for the event, meaning I sent out a sign up sheet, shopped for a few supplies, and worked on logistics before, during, and after. Families and friends donate generously so that everyone can not only find nourishment post-performance but also find time to connect and catch up with others in the school community. Students always express deep gratitude and generally one lanky teenage boy emerges from the shadows at the very end to help clean up and mop up the leftovers. I adore this.
The time I volunteer is quite limited but the reward is always more than good measure. Our high school pulls from a broad socio-economic and cultural base drawn both to the outstanding arts program as well as the diverse community that sometimes struggles with difference but fundamentally values diversity and its common good. I generally leave exhausted, having shed some tears at the beauty of the work presented and lamenting how often we demean, misunderstand, and undercut our public spaces. Segregation and all the -isms are in play as well as our incessant complaining about taxes. Public spaces reflect not only the challenges that face our citizenry but also the flawed institutions that underpin them. As a result, they remain imperfect while also invaluable.
Public spaces work to erase division. They educate. They practice hospitality to all who may enter. They promote safety and personal growth. They bring understanding and foster camaraderie. I write today to laud the work of our public spaces and the benefits I have received in their graces, lest I ever complain about the cost of a museum ticket or the limitations of a recreation facility or the failures of a public school, Beyond my gratitude, public spaces need my commitment and investment as well as yours. How about a humble visit to a public space, particularly one outside of your own neighborhood? There might be no better way to re-engage in the common good and the personal benefits may be inestimable as well.
Public Space
Ken Babstock
Wandering wordless through the heat of High
Park. High summer. Counting the chipmunks
who pause and demand the scrub stand by
till their flitty, piggybacked equal signs can think
through this math of dogwood, oak-whip, mulch.
Children glue mouths to ice cream and chips, punch
and kick at the geese, while rug-thick islands
of milt-like scum sail the duckpond's copper stillness -
Over-fat, hammerhead carp with predator brains . . .
We can wreck a day on the shoals of ourselves.
Cramped, you broke last night and wept at the war,
at the ionized, cobalt glow that fish-tanked the air.
We're here to be emptied under the emptying sky,
eyes cast outward, trolling for the extraordinary.
