opinion
From where I stand, Narnia deserves to be preserved.
When I think of those impacted most by the shutdown, the kids in this community top the list. In a time of hurdles with social distancing, disrupted routines, and an awkward edging back to some semblance of a social life, all I can think about is how this will impact my kids in a critical time of their development.
Then they found Narnia: a bike park-utopia right here in northwest Fort Collins synonymous with the name of the fantasy realm from "The Chronicles of Narnia."
Contrary to its namesake, Narnia is a place carved out of the blood, sweat, and tears of everyday kids. What looks like a dry patchwork of forgotten open space under the veil of power lines near Lincoln Middle School is an escape created by kids for kids.
It provided a saving grace and a place to retreat to when their world locked down. For these kids, Narnia offered a hidden oasis and refuge to see them through these unprecedented times.
My heart breaks for them as they watch the encroachment of excavators and piles of fill dirt grow after they spent hours building jumps and carving trails. For them to watch this place so near and dear to their hearts be overtaken is what inspired me to write this, not in protest, but in homage to what Narnia has been for them. It was theirs for a time. Not their property, but a momentous ally when they needed it most.
I write this for both my boys, 11 and 13, who are devastated over the news that their little slice of Shangri-La is slated to be redeveloped. What was the most anticipated part of their day is now scheduled to become another foregone memory.
As disenchanting as it is to imagine a world devoid of magical wardrobe-like escapes like this bike park, these kids will come to understand that change is a part of growing up. I’m curious to see what this space will have inspired.
With what it offered in one of the most difficult times of their lives, I'm certain it will leave a lasting imprint and perhaps it might motivate them to bring their own magic into the new world they are growing up into.
Out of respect for the kids who helped build it and for those who still cherish it, I feel the urgency to remind city developers that they hold in their hands one of the last strongholds of "un-adult-erated" creation.
It is by far one of the most remarkable endeavors I’ve ever seen rarely preserved in a community, and I hope its legacy can live on with the new rendition. Despite where the project goes, Narnia was a gift.
To those who make decisions on what happens, you have the capacity to preserve the vision and the transformative power it had in the lives of our community’s children.
Narnia is in your hands, but it will always stay in the hearts of those whose lives were forever altered by spending time there. Do well by these kids.
Sheala D. Henke lives in Fort Collins.
"Opinion" - Google News
July 10, 2020 at 08:05PM
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Opinion: A special place deserves to be preserved - Coloradoan
"Opinion" - Google News
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