summer in October
The score: 2–2. The game goes into overtime. My eyes anxiously dart back and forth at my cousin running up and down the field, noticing the bright yellow lines on the field that resemble my paint swatch. It is his last game of his high school soccer season. My aunt and uncle cheer vehemently beside me. “Go Knights!” My nose senses the odor of hot turf, sunscreen, and sweat. Regretting my lack of sunglasses, I squint into the sun and catch the last seconds on the scoreboard go by. It’s a tie. Even though my shirt is thoroughly soaked with sweat, I am glad I came to watch this game.
I walk with my relatives to their car after the game, congratulating my cousin on a match well fought. Although I was only watching the game, beads of sweat begin to bead at my forehead as if I played alongside the boys. I feel the sun on my face, and pray that I didn’t burn. As we walk past the field, the JV team prepares for the following game, and I observe the vibrant-colored cleats of one player. I ask his permission to snap a picture of his bright boots. I continue to walk my cousins in the direction of the zoo, and we part ways once they find their parking spot.
On my journey back home from the game, I cross paths with many people walking their dogs, some whose dogs seemed to be walking them. The tall, almost majestic trees of Lincoln Park provide comforting shade from the blazing sun. Each house I pass surpasses the next in charm. I find myself in front of a beautiful brownstone with a black iron gate. Foliage blossoms around it, and there in front of me lies the perfect plant to match my color swatch.
The slight breeze tosses my hair around me as I walk, and I feel refreshed as I continue my route underneath the protective overcast of the trees. It may be October, but the sun dominates the day as if summer decided to make one last encore appearance. I stare at the ground, and the leaves on the street help me remember the true time of year. The subtle crunching noise of traipsing through the leaves satisfies my ears. The two colors I was searching for were right under my feet the whole time.
As my walk nears its end, it dawns upon me that I am missing one item for my assignment. Luckily, the yellow paint bordering the side of the road resembles my color swatch enough. I snap a picture of the road. Glancing up, I turn around and take in my surroundings. Young families stroll around me in shorts and shades. The chatter of students fills the air. This atmosphere is the result of summer in October.
According to Malchik in “March,” why is a community’s walkability “one of the single greatest factors in building social capital” (p. 45)? What is social capital? How do your community’s public infrastructure and public spaces support walkability (or not)? How has your community’s walkability factored in your social capital?
A community’s walkability is “one of the single greatest factors in building social capital” because it allows for easier access to infrastructure, which in turn leads to more connections between people within that community. Any sort of connection, according to Malchik, strengthens the community. Thus, walkability has a direct link to tightly knit communities. Social capital is the amount of social interactions between people in a certain area. Places with high social capital have much interaction between neighbors. My community supports walkability with public infrastructure and public places because there are many public places like parks and courtyards scattered throughout the town that all people have the right to use. There are signs posted around town with the approximate walk time to get from one place to another, which further promotes walkability. This allows for more social capital because there are common places for people to meet within walking distance of their homes.
