01.31.08
A Dream That Is Not A Dream
When I was growing up in the city of Manchester, New Hampshire, and was still quite young, my parents would gather the kids into the car and we would ride up a little hill near Derryfield Park. At the top of the incline was a flat area with some black cannons, large enough to sit on. In fact, the family photo album has pictures of various family members doing just that.
The area was secluded, surrounded by trees as I remember, and therefore, it was a good place for vandals to do their mischievous deeds with painted graffiti, leaving broken beer bottles in the wake of their activities.
Soon, the area was cordoned off and no one could trespass beyond the barriers.
View from Derryfield Park, Manchester, NH, photo circa 1954-55. From left: my older sister, my Dad holding me, and my next oldest brother.
I like to recall Manchester when I was young. We would often go to Derryfield Park for picnics, and most especially, for concerts on the 4th of July. Manchester seemed “safe” then. Today, it is not safe and I’ve begun to avoid going there.
In my experience with the city, (having moved away when I was eleven), there were no muggings, stabbings, or shootings. Of course, once in a while one would hear of a wife beater, but I suppose that domestic violence is nothing new under the sun.
I can understand why some people want to study sociology. Sociology, the study of people and how they interact within societies, closely intersects with psychology and with anthropology. All of these specific study disciplines attempt to explain why humans act as they do.
Life is constantly changing but the more we have, the less we possess. If we can’t have peace of mind while walking down the street or visiting a park, even if it is secluded, then some of our freedom has been taken away and in its place, there is a nullifying, stupefying level of fear.
I dream for a more simple time, a time that was not that long ago, a time when one’s hand was automatically raised in greeting to the car passing down the road. In my mind’s eye, I recall our neighbor that lived on our same road in a small town NH community. In the fall, he would bring my mother Chrysanthemums that he had raised; in the summer, he would load up a carton with fresh picked raspberries and vegetables from his garden.
He would bring all of the results of his hard work to her, asking nothing in return, and delivering all, with a smile. My mother, who didn’t drive a car, ever, would receive phone calls - “Betty, I’m going out of town to such and such a store. Can I pick up something for you?” These offers were a blessing when she lived alone, after Dad had passed away.
I know that the friendliness of other people is manifestation of God’s love for us. I’ve seen many examples of kindness, as well as many other instances of selfish manipulations and interior “design-ings.”
I believe that kindness happens, one person at a time. We can all do a little more to nurture others and to encourage them on life’s path. We only go this way once, something that is easy to forget when we get so caught up in all that must be done. In making a living, we sometimes neglect to make a life.
I’m not sure how we can get criminals off the street, or prevent every potentially preventable, senseless act of cruelty from happening. Sometimes, I wonder why I even turn on the news. There are events occurring daily that are completely beyond my ability to logically process the potential reasons “why.”
I like the 1950s and 1960s, mainly because they were a much more innocent time. In saying that, I wonder if our media capabilities of today have simply brought home the idea that humans can be so misdirected in their ways. I dream nostalgically of the past, and of all of the good folks who were a part of my “innocent” youth.
Right and wrong seemed to be more clear cut back then. I was encouraged to study hard and to become a “teacher.” I enjoyed feeling as though I could grow up to make a difference in the lives of others. Time will tell whether any of us ever achieve our full potential. All we can do is to keep our dreams alive. For if we can envision a world of goodness and kindness, maybe we can create it. I hope you are willing to join me in dreaming, and in being willing to try to improve life, one friendly smile at a time.
Patricia Cummings, http://www.quiltersmuse.com
