Reflection #2
Getting Lost
Getting Lost
Description
As I was at my friend’s house visiting last
week, I met a few of her roommates and one happened to also be taking this
class. She was headed out to an OOCLO, so I decided to tag along. We had
planned to head to Welland to check out the farmers market. As we were driving,
we were getting to know each other, and happened to have the same taste in
music. After figuring that out we of course had to play some songs, while
singing and dancing in the car we got completely lost and could not find the
market. As we were driving around, I looked to my left and saw a Memorial park,
so we quickly parked the car and decided to go for a walk. It was a gorgeous
afternoon, and all of the leaves on the trees had changed to beautiful reds,
yellows and oranges. We had a great time taking pictures, looking at the
scenery and enjoying the peacefulness when all of a sudden, my new friend
noticed holes in the ground. While saying this to me a snake slithered right by
my foot, and I darted out of the park as fast as I could to the car. That was
the end of our adventure at the Memorial park.
Examination
Erik Olin Wrights reading “real utopias”
explains why we sociologists should study real utopias and not fantasies. He
explains that by knowing when opportunities arise to build on institutions that
we humans recognize this and act upon it to make our world that much closer to
becoming utopian. The park we visited was so quiet and beautiful that it
represented a utopian society. Because this certain part of the land was
reserved and saved for animals and people such as ourselves to explore I
understand why in the second reading “Implications of highway development in
Canada’s Niagara fruit belt” by Suzanne Hill causes complications and issues.
People of the region expressed their feelings that the fruit belt would no
longer continue. I believe that we need to preserve land, in any region of the
world such as parks, because it is important to not destroy the entire natural
world around us. Niagara has a lot of things to offer and in Imagine Niagara by
Lynda Scheekloth it explains this in further detail. The falls is an especially
big attraction, dividing the United States and Canada. It describes that each
region is built and represented by what is there and the surroundings. Imagine Niagara
explains our class, it tells us that Niagara has history, stories and meanings
to show.
Articulation of Learning
I have learned that the Niagara region has
a lot to offer, it is a beautiful place and through this class it gives me the
opportunity to go out and see these locations and learn new things. Through
this OOCLO I learned that it’s not the destination, but the journey, and even
though visiting a park may not have been the best OOCLO experience, the part I
liked best is that I made a new friend.
I have learned this when I was driving
around, looking at the scenery and discovering new things throughout
St.Catharines and Niagara.
This learning matters because there is a
bigger world outside of my little town where I came from. It is important to
learn new things and it will make me a better and smarter person. I believe
that these experiences will give me a better outlook.
In light of this learning I am excited to
perform my next OOCLO and continue to discover the area that I’m currently
living in. This past OOCLO has taught me to go along for the ride, and take
different things from the experiences I have, such as meeting new people and
friends.
References
Wright, Erik Olin. (2011). Real utopias.
Contexts: Understanding People in their
Social Worlds
10(2). 36-42.
Schneekloth, Lynda H., & Shibley,
Robert G. (2005). Imagine Niagara. Journal of
Canadian Studies,
39(3), 105-120.
Hill, A. Suzanne. (2002). A serpent in the
garden: Implications of highway development
in Canada's Niagara
fruit belt. Journal of Historical Sociology, 15(4), 495-514.
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