I took Chandler for a walk in a small an area that would normally be full of activity at this time of year, but today stands empty because of COVID-19 safety restrictions. Memorial Park has a softball/baseball diamond, pickleball courts, picnic tables and a pool. Years ago, I played softball in an adult league, and was at the park every three or four days for months.
Today however, I walked through a part of the park I had never seen before. In this part of the park, there are several sculptures and artifacts with historical information on bronze plaques next to them. Also, there are two long concrete walls nearly covered with brick sized marble rectangles; each engraved with the name, branch of the military and dates of service of someone who lived locally and served.
Interestingly, I found myself spending a lot longer in the area than I would normally. I was struck with wonder about what each of the people whose name I read might talk about if we sat and had a conversation together. I believe we could align around wanting peace for our world, our communities and our families. We might simply approach that desire from different perspectives.
As I said recently about perspectives, I’m convinced the first step on the path to peace is to be open to the perspectives of others. For me, this openness is borne of curiosity. The more curious I become about someone, the more open hearted I am. This is because when I am curious, I come from a place of wanting to learn rather than assuming I know about the other person or the topic we may be discussing.
A simple joy in the midst of all things pandemic is taking my little Chandler for a walk. An added bonus? Seeing a new-to-me part of a local landmark and a daydream about talking with some of the folks remembered in Memorial Park.