Austin’s parks, in the seventies and eighties, were a place where people
gathered. People don’t talk to their neighbors anymore. While canvassing,
I met a young man who moved here from San Francisco three years ago.
His next door neighbor is also a young man you moved here from San
Francisco three years ago. I asked if him if he knew his neighbor. He has
lived there for three years and he has not talked to anyone. The Hill, a
church on Woodland, hosted a Fourth of July Party on their lawn. Everyone
was invited. Neighbors talked to other neighbors. Dogs were running,
children were giggling. Sparklers and glow necklaces were lit. I felt
connected. We need to encourage our Meet-Ups, neighborhood
organizations, and other groups to utilize our beautiful parks to celebrate,
have meetings, the more we use our parks, the more people will see the
value of them.