Every time i walk down myrtle avenue, I pass by the Forest Park basketball courts. Although i don’t go there to play anymore, I have many memories of being there in 8th grade through freshman year. Me and my close friends would go there every day after school and play basketball against random people in the park. There was always something new going on at the park and it never got old. The people there were always so cool to each other, it was like one big family. Everyone reading this, guys and girls, you all have definitely had experiences with random people that you see all the time and you are nice to. For example when you have friends in school that you are cool with, you say hi to them and you go on with your day, but you wont hang out with them outside of school. Same thing applies here.
Nowadays, when i pass by the park, it seems different. Not different in a bad way, but it is not the same. The people there are mostly older people and I don’t see many kids playing there, and theres nothing wrong with that. The older people in the park are good to the younger kids when they appear. If anything would go down, the older ones would protect the younger kids in an instant, and I know this from personal experience.
The lens that i added to my blog post is the Audience lens. This lens allowed me to connect to my audience and relate to them on a certain level by providing a relatable example. This allowed my writing to flow better, and the audience can relate to me on a certain level.
Hi Nick, I agree– asking the readers to reflect back on their own experience is a powerful tool. One thing that might make this analysis deeper is to reflect on WHY this space changed, or how the role of older folks/elders at the park changed over time; you could also draw on a specific memory you have of forming relationships with strangers you don’t see elsewhere.