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
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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
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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.