Busy Park in the Middle of Winter

I chose to walk over to the park near my apartment. I believe it is officially titled “Waveland Park.” It sits right on the edge of Lake Michigan and is a place where I frequent throughout the year, typically with my partner and our dog, but this time I ventured out alone.

I spent about 45 minutes sitting on a bench overlooking the concrete trails and the lake this past Sunday, January 13. It was rather warm out, considering it is January, and the sunshine was much appreciated. I was clearly not the only one who had the idea to take advantage of some hard-to-find Vitamin D.

During my time in this public park, I tuned in to the world around me. I took in the numerous sounds, some typical of the city: car horns, sirens, buses lowering; some typical of nature: wind, waves, leaves rustling, birds; some typical of public spaces: conversations between friends, dogs greeting one another, the sound of bicycles zooming by, running shoes hitting the pavement.

I did not expect there to be so much going on at the park on a Sunday in January, but I was pleasantly surprised. It almost felt like we were part of our own community, one that was not afraid of a little cold that craved the sun. So despite my little interactions with those I encountered and observed, I still felt this connection to them.