ROCKY RUN PARK, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

ROCKY RUN PARK

I always believe that a country that treats its children, women and animals well progresses well. One may wonder why “animals”. If a country can treat the animals, which are in the lowest level of hierarchy, “well”, then obviously, the country will have enough concern and empathy for other living beings.

In our endeavor for food, clothing and shelter every individual struggles to attain these basic necessities and achieve the same. Governments also focus on these basic necessities and fail to look beyond. But beyond these basic needs there are some of the other essentials like hobbies, sports and recreation, which usually take a back seat need to be looked into for a healthy society. It is better to inculcate the means to fulfill these needs when one is young so it comes handy as one grows.

I used to wonder why some of the countries like America, China always score maximum medals in Olympics, whereas other nations -developing and developed take a back seat.  At times, they do not even make it to open an account in the medals tally!

I got the answer during m maiden visit to the USA recently. I happened to visit a park known as ROCKY RUN PARK, N.Barton Street, Arlington, Virginia almost every day to take a walk in the evenings. This small facility used to be flocked by people from more than twenty nationalities every day. It used to be viewed as a paradise by all those who come there to play, pass time, enjoy nature and entertain their wards.

There are different sections in the park. Children from 2-5 years old where there are swings, sea-saw, toy cars, slides, musical note making assembly, area to play in sand, small climbing assembly etc. There is a shelter to sit and watch the kids play. All these facilities have rubberized flooring in selected places to avert injuries to kids while playing.

Adequate benches are there and there is provision for clean drinking water and toilet in spic & span condition.

Next section is for children from 5 to 12 years. Here children have facilities to climb higher level, jumping arrangement, swings etc.

Below this level there are two basket ball courts, a foot ball court with artificial grass.

Pets are allowed to go around freely with escorts.  There are plenty of greenery, tall trees all around and nice flowers.

When people play they develop team spirit and competitive nature. There is some amount of bonhomie in all these social interaction where children from various social strata mingle with one another. There are pet owners who develop a bonding on account of common interests in pets, its well being etc. 

There are people who meet regularly due to daily visits therefore look forward to meet the same acquaintance, a roadside ice-cream cart apart from making roaring business bring in much needed refreshments for the children who are tired after a long game, basket ball and foot ball coaches, fitness experts making their students to sweat it out all these add charge to the whole atmosphere.  

It is pretty rare to find facilities of this nature in developing countries like India. All that made with great expenses and fun fare for ASIAD and other games are found to be substandard and serve little purpose. Regular funds these representatives get for their ward development. We do not know where these funds end up !!