Criteria for a Healthy Landscape

My favorite place, which I would like to analyze, is Redwood Empire Gymnastics in Petaluma, California. Gymnastics has been, and continues to be a very important part of my life. I may not be a competitive gymnast right now, but gymnastics is in my blood and will never leave. I still work out at REG, not with the team, but with a tumbling class, which I enjoy.

According to Groth:

1 - A healthy landscape connects its participants to themselves as individuals

Redwood Empire Gymnastics did, and continues to do this for me. When I was, and when I am currently working out at REG, I am an individual, but my coach always knows I am there. Yes, there are many other gymnasts in the building, but I block them out and concentrate on myself. During my work out, I find time to think and review my day. I do not have to talk with anyone if I don’t want to, or I can choose to talk to everyone.

2 - A healthy landscape connects its participants to their important social groups
&
3- A healthy landscape connects its participants to continuity

Gymnasts and their families bond quickly with each other. This bonding is an important part of a social group, a group that is held together by the need of all the parents wanting to protect all the children. Continuity and stability are very important in this demanding sport. Gymnasts rely on their parents to get them to work out, on their coaches to keep them safe while working out, and on every staff member in the gym to make sure the equipment is safe. Every gymnast is an individual, but there are several people standing behind them making sure they are safe while having fun.

4 - A healthy landscape allows flexibility and thus connects its participants to change

Changes are a part of life and we all need to be flexibility and accept them. During my gymnastics career, I have experienced and overcome many changes. I had a coach suddenly pass away, coaches moved away, and teammates left REG to go to another gym. These changes helped connect me with my teammates and taught me many life lessons. We bonded together to continue on and helped each other overcome them. I see flexibility as being able to accept corrections, and learn new skills. As being able to overcome fear and accept any changes that are happening around me, but staying focused on my gymnastics.

5 - A healthy landscape connects its participants to outsiders
&
6 - A healthy landscape connects itself to OTHER parts of nature

The gymnastics community is a close-knit group. I still communicate with several gymnasts from many different gyms, and we do get together and have fun outside of the gym. I see the OTHER part of nature REG connected to was the various places I traveled to for competitions. Yes, I was still stuck in a gym, but when I traveled to places like Hawaii, or Florida for competitions, I always found time to play in nature. It was also fun to visit a different gym, to see the different equipment, smell the different odors, and meet new people.

7 - A healthy landscape connects people (even outsiders) to its participants' exuberance or "thrival."

I do see Redwood Empire Gymnastics as a healthy landscape. Where else can I work out, have fun, be safe, all in a healthy landscape. The gym may be a cement building, but it is a building filled with love. My experiences were and are shared with others, others who had and still have the same goals as I. When I was on the competitive team, we were one unit, a unit held together because we all had a role to do and we did it. the team thrived due do each and every member, everyone was an important part.

Reading K’Mart by Paul Groth’s criteria:

I see Groth’s #1 criteria, “a healthy landscape connects its participants to themselves as individuals,” as being why K”Mart can be seen as a healthy landscape. K’Mart offers so many items which are offered at many different price points. These choices allow an individual to connect to themselves, making the decisions that will affect them. K’Mart does not just focus on a certain group, because they have so many different items which appeal to different groups. I do shop at K’Mart because they are a local store that has items that I use. I do not buy everything at K’Mart, but that is my choice.

The Golden Apple

The Golden Apple is an establishment in which the customers help shape and contribute to the feel of the restaurant. It is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Three men own the restaurant, and at any time of the day or night, one of the owners is there. The customers vary throughout the day and night, and this unique makeup of characters is special to the Golden Apple. At any given hour, the clientele sitting at the counter or in the booths set the atmosphere in the diner. At times it can be quiet, but as the day turns to night, it can be hectic. Some of the “regular” customers visit two or three times in a given day. They may sit for hours, sometimes talking to others, sometimes just saying hi. Drunks, cab drivers, cops, elderly people, young people, and even families with children eat at the Golden Apple.

Throughout the day, the “regular” customers mainly sit alone at the counter, the tables, or in the booths in the Golden Apple. These “regulars” will sometimes just drink coffee with not much talking going on in the diner. They want to wake up and tend to linger in their seats, and at times there can be an uncomfortable silence. As the day turns to early afternoon the local workers come in, eat quickly, and leave. In the early evening, the families come in, as well as some of the “regulars” return. If it is a nice day, tables are put outside for their dining pleasure. The young children know the menu, almost always ordering the Mickey Mouse pancakes. As the evening turns to late night and into the early morning hours, the cab drivers, cops, and the drunks come in. During these times, the diner becomes a home to one big party. The place can be crazy, but everyone is always very friendly.

This broadcast is describing what my Grandparents talked about as the “typical” diner. Waitresses have worked there for years, and the customers become family. My Grandparents just to eat at a local restaurant in San Francisco; here they were one of the “regulars”. They may not have eaten there every day, or more than one time in a day, but they were known by the waiters and waitresses. They mainly ate lunch there, and so they were eating with their friends who were also retired. This diner was not open 24 hours a day, so it was not like the Golden Apple. It was owned by a family, and was not part of a chain of restaurants.

Today, this type of a diner is hard to find. Chains like Applebee’s or Chevy’s are now the local establishments. When you go to these restaurants, you are not known by name. You sometimes have to wait to be seated, and once seated your waiter or waitress takes your drink order and then your food order. You do not talk to the other customers, and the “type” of customer does not dictate the feel of the restaurant during a certain time of the day. These restaurants are not open 24 hours a day; they have set times and set holidays when they are open. At times they can become noisy, especially when there is a group at the bar talking and laughing. But no matter what is happening at the bar, the work in the restaurant goes on. There may be crying babies, yelling kids, elderly people taking loud, but I have never seen these restaurant chains become hectic like the Golden Apple can become.

K'Mart Has a Loveable Disorder

In the essay, “K’Mart Has a Loveable Disorder”, it was interesting to read that Hank Stuever, the author has a lot of the same views of K’Mart as I have heard many people I know say. I have watched the K’Mart in Petaluma go from the store I used to like shopping in, to the store I hardly go into. My Grandma complains every time she shops at K’Mart, but for some strange reason she continues to shop there. She also complains about how crowded and dirty it is, and how “it always has a way of being a slightly frazzled place.” Petaluma’s K’Mart does not smell of popcorn, but most of the employees do not speak English so it is hard to ask for help. The “blue light specials” do not take place any longer as well. My Grandma says she continues to shop there because it is close to her house, and they have the items she needs when she needs them in a hurry. She says that the prices are cheaper than Wal-Mart and Target, but when we look at the ads together, she sees that is not always the truth. Since Wal-Mart and Target are in Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa, they are further from her house than our local K’Mart so she will tell me that because she does not have to use much gas to get to the Petaluma K’Mart, she is still saving money. I cannot argue with my Grandma, so she will continue to shop at K’Mart and I will never stop her.

I know K’Mart is trying to change their image by having items produced by big name people like Martha Stewart and Jaclyn Smith, but I don’t understand why these people would want to sell their items at K’Mart. I do believe that some items, like toothpaste, gardening supplies, ironing boards, and toys are the same no matter where you purchase them. These items serve the same purpose, and should not be viewed any differently because of where it was purchased. As Hank stated, “Kmart could never be Target. Kmart could never be Wal-Mart.” Is this because people have read about K’Mart having money issues? Or is this because people have their own personal opinions of these three stores? I personally feel that K’Mart’s image has changed in my eyes in the last couple of years, but not for the better. When I go into the Petaluma K’Mart, it is disorganized, smelly, and it always has boxes in the aisles. I wonder why the manager does not look at the store as if he or she was a customer. He or she would then understand why many people have stopped shopping at this store.

Hank Stuever’s essay can be described as one, which is talking about a cultural landscape. The landscape may be a store, it's customers, and it’s contents, but his words bring back many memories. The smells, the displays, and the sounds over the loud speakers are all being described in this essay. For me, Redwood Empire Gymnastics, located in Petaluma, California has a cultural landscape. Whenever the sport of gymnastics is being talked about, REG is always seems to be mentioned. As soon as I enter through the doors, the smells, the sounds, and all the children’s happy sounding voices bring me into a different world. When I look at the trophies, the banners, and hear the music, I relive my childhood. I remember the hours, months, and years I left the world outside and entered into my life in the gym. I have been a competitive gymnast for 11 years, so I have basically lived in this gym. This gym is an interesting place, so go by and watch, smell, and listen to everything going on around you.

"The Monument And The Bungalow"

Reading Lewis' essay has opened my eyes to a different world. I have to admit that I never have read the landscape, nor have I thought about this concept in the ways Lewis described. I do enjoy listening to my parents and Grandparents when they talk about the way things were when they were little, but this is only using my ears, not my eyes. I believe that listening to the past being told to me is one way to learn, but I now want to try and read the landscape and introduce myself to a new way of learning.

Sight is an important sense of ours, and it is capable of opening up the past if we believe in what we are seeing. We should always be willing to question what we are seeing, not turn away if we are confused or do not like what we are viewing. We need to look in areas which we have not looked before. To expand our world. We also need to not be afraid to touch different textures, to ask questions as to why it feels the way it does. We need to be excited and not feel stupid if someone catches us on our hands and knees looking at or touching an item.

Once we discover an interesting item, we need to use very descriptive words to describe it. Words can keep a reader interested and wanting to read more. We should not be afraid to let our feelings come out, to put these feelings into words which will open our world up to others. Technical words may help some, but I feel that other people may get lost with the use of technical words. Our words may help others see an item in a very different way. This is an important role we play, a role of teaching others to value and appreciate the world, or landscape around us.

We all need to read the landscape which is our world. By doing this, we will learn about our past. Not only should we explore the landscape close by, but go explore. Explore the buildings, the rivers, and the monuments we are so lucky to have in our world. Don't be afraid to open up and learn from them.

This Is Me

My name is Nicole and I am 18 years old. This is my second semester at SRJC where I am majoring in Culinary Arts. My goal is to become a pastry chef and make people happy with my creations. I enjoy baking, and really want to learn cake decorating.

I am taking the course to help improve my writing skills. I have a hard time putting my thoughts into organized essays, because I do tend to ramble on. I am willing to work hard, and take any advice I am given. English is not my favorite subject, but I will struggle through.

I am an ex-competitive gymnast who still loves the sport. Gymnastics had been my life for the past 15 years, and I am still going through withdrawals. I still stay in shape by working out at a fitness gym, but I still find myself on the beach practicing my high level skills.