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Recreation
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City of Roswell
P.O. Drawer 1838
Roswell, NM 88202-1838
(505) 624-6700
Fax: 624-6889 |
THE LEISURE INCIDENT
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Pearly White Teeth!"
December
15, 1998
By Kim Elliott, CLP
Recreation Director
City of Roswell
An American by the name of Paul A. Samuelson had this to say about people and taxes.
"People hate taxes the way children hate brushing their teeth—and in the same
shortsighted way." As parents, children can sure be frustrating at times, can’t
they? At the same time, kids think their parents do not know what they are talking about!
All over this nation, we find parents getting smarter about five years after their
kids’ graduate from high school. That seems to be a phenomenal event! What made the
difference? First, some background.
The major provider of the Leisure Incident in Roswell is the City of Roswell Recreation
Department. Government is the main provider of leisure services all over this nation. It
is no different in Roswell. The private sector supplies a smaller, significant amount of
leisure services, but, all in all, the public is served most by the various forms of
government across this nation. Why? Because the public is best served by the public.
Corporations are best served by corporations.
Municipal Parks and Recreation departments, State and National Park systems, Bureau of
Land Management, Game and Fish departments, Park Districts and National Wildlife Refuges
help to form the leisure incident for each and every one of us. All work together to make
you feel good about yourself and your community. Without these providers of leisure in our
communities, a disease would exist that only leisure can be prescribed for the cure.
A new year brings new opportunities. These opportunities exist in the future, not the
past. The past is too late to prepare for the future. However we can learn from the past
as we plan for the future. After all, this is the present!
As we mature and begin to grow up, our vision of the future is very limited. The future
is only what we can see! Those who have been around a while know better. The future is
that part of the iceberg that we do not see. However, we know it is there!
The future can be positive, or, it can be negative. What are we going to do about it?
The potential exists for both the good and the bad.
A child brushing his or her teeth can only see themselves in the mirror. They see
pearly white teeth. There is nothing wrong with the teeth they see. Why brush?
The parent sees their child age in the mirror in front of them. They see pearly white
teeth, if the vision is one of proper dental care. They see ugly, rotting teeth, if the
child refuses to brush regularly. The child’s vision of the future is very narrow.
The parent sees the possibilities of the future because of experience. Who has a better
vision?
Our city forefathers had the vision in 1897 to provide for the purchase and development
of park property in Roswell. This was probably precipitated by the vision of the same
individuals to provide places and activities for the community’s youth, which is also
documented in "100 YEARS OF DREAMS AND REALITIES, A History of the Roswell Parks
System" by former Parks and Recreation Director A.B. Gwinn. Planning for a growing
community provided direction.
Just because our forefathers had vision, does not mean that we no longer need to view
the future. It is a constant process of trying to see and plan the best for the community.
It is a never ending process! Sometimes we have a tendency to look into the mirror and see
a community that seems to be doing OK. Why change?
The Roswell community has many leisure needs. These have been documented in the 1993
Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, the Cielo Grande Master Plan, the Family
Aquatic Center Master Plan, and through other sources. These needs call for additional
capital funding in order for us to keep providing quality leisure experiences for the next
generation.
As we begin a new year, let us plan to keep our pearly, white teeth as one of our
community’s assets.
Parks and Recreation - The Benefits are Endless...TM
