A Natural Remedy For Our Disconnected Lives

When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses? This isn’t a rhetorical question. All too often, many of us plod through our days in such rapid succession that we wonder where the time goes. We are mesmerized with digital media at every available moment, staring at our iPhones, computers or televisions. It wasn’t always like this, was it? We were kids once. We really did stop to smell roses. As you may recall, they can smell quite lovely.

If this makes you nostalgic for those simpler times when the world seemed like a different place, don’t despair. There are places we can go to recapture these glory days while making sure our kids have the same opportunities - parks. Yes, parks.

As kids, we’d spend hours outside, finding ways to entertain ourselves until it was getting dark and we were called in for dinner. These were times of creativity, intellectual curiosity, and exercise - even if we didn’t realize it. And, we managed it all quite well without smart phones.

In these days of trying economic conditions and greater connectedness to our electronic devices than to our families, parks offer the perfect reprieve. At parks, we can explore and learn together, cementing the relationships that too-often suffer from the distractions of daily life. A simple, low-cost outing gives families a chance to hike, explore playgrounds, have family reunions, play sports, go fishing or engage in any other outdoor activity that suits our families’ interests.  

We can shirk our sedentary lifestyles and get some exercise, even if that physical fitness is just a happy by-product of our family adventure. We can actually listen to our loved ones instead of reading their abbreviated thoughts in text messages. So take a moment to do a cost-benefit analysis on your family activities. You’ll quickly realize that spending an afternoon at a park can provide outsized returns on a minimal investment. We can reconnect with family and nature, disconnect from all of life’s distractions and stresses. We can get some much-needed exercise and stimulate all of our senses, taking time to recognize the beauty which surrounds us – both in nature as well as our families.

We can finally take the time to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively.

Paul Katz is a freelance writer based in Owings Mills and a stay-at-home dad with four-year-old twins.