Entry #3. A Chilling Experience.

Photo by: Mitul Shah by Burst

Life offers a lot; it constantly engages our senses every day and throws whatever it can at us. It can feel like we have to move through life like this one long race. To live quickly as we go from day to day. Which is why it is important to remember that sometimes we just need to live in the moment.

A few days prior, it felt like I couldn’t take a second to rest. Every moment, it seemed, were filled with chaos and things that needed to get done. So I decided to use this day to rest and re-charge. Then, I was assigned to use and describe my senses of eating a mint. I took several moments to figure out how to write and explain my entire experience. After a while though, and many mints, it came to me.

Photo by: Trevor Minett by Burst

I picked up the case of mints, it was small enough to fit in my palm quite comfortability. I had just picked it up on the counter, so it was cold like the kitchen it was in. I raddled the case and the mints inside were pushed back and forth. It created the occasional pressure as it hit my fingers and palm.

The front half of the case was clear, so I was able to see how shiny the thick, oval mints were. Blue dots were sprinkled on the tops of them as a blue band went around the middle. I opened the cap and put one mint in my palm. The bottom was smooth to the touch while the top had some texture because of the dots that were sticking up. I felt around the band and it was rough, like a softer version of sandpaper.

Then I put it in my mouth. These mints were hard, so it moved quite smoothly. At once, the flavor seeped out. It was clean and sharp as it chilled my tongue and throat. Then I crunched it between my teeth. It was tough at first but then the flavor exploded. The inside of the bigger bits was crunchier and ragged as it moved.

Photo by: Matthew Henry by Burst

It gave me an old memory, one that I haven’t thought about in years. I was little when my grandmother came over. She always had a bag filled with trinkets and sweets. So whenever she sat down on the couch and put her bag down beside her, I would do my best to climb up next to her and that bag. She’d let me paw through her things, and after a while I would find some sweets. 

This time, I didn’t, and to my little five-year-old mind, it was the end of the world (sorry grandma). I was so distraught and probably in need of a nap as she put me in her lap and began rocking me back and forth. I started to calm down but the need to be entertained still kept me in a fussy state.

She then began to ruffle through her bag and brought out a blue case filled with mints. To me it was the most interesting thing in the world. It was chewy mints I think, I wasn’t allowed to eat it but she let me analyze its color, shape, and case. The color was a bright and see-through blue. The cylinder shape resembled that of a caterpillar with its sides curving out and in on itself. I shook it back and forth, also entertained by the way it sounded. Because of this exercise, it gave me back the lovely memory I had forgotten.

Entry #2: Hostile Architecture; A Secret Language.

Hello fellow learners!

Photo by: Lerone Pieters from Burst

Welcome to a discussion that I think we all need to talk about and be aware of. I have heard and learned about it many years ago and haven’t forgotten about it to this day. It became even more apparent and important to me because I talked about this very topic to some people and most of them didn’t even know what it was. So when I saw the opportunity to write about it here, I knew I couldn’t let it go.

Now, most people won’t recognize it right away. Walking or driving from place to place, A to B. Hurriedly moving like bees in a very big hive. It is common for an average working person to move through life and its gears without really looking around. After all, it is natural to have tunnel vision.

However, what if I told you, fellow learners, that there is a secret language between structures and specific architecture? That only a certain number of people actually know about? It is something that had effected more than 650,000 Americans in 2023. A “12.1% increase from the same report in 2022,” USAFacts wrote.

That is Hostile Architecture. Now, what is hostile architecture? It can have many names, definitions, and opinions. Though in its simplicity, as Jordana Rosenfeld wrote in Britannica, it is designed in an environment to “guide or restrict certain behaviors in public spaces, such as sleeping, skateboarding, using illicit substances, urinating in public, and loitering.”

Photo by: The Humantra by Burst

Now as with most situations, there are two sides to this. One of them being that, yes, sometimes it is good to have structures like this. It can help to stop vandalism, specific actions, or save structures from damage. But what about the other side? The other side is this, it stops certain people from having a place to live.

The homeless people suffer from this the most, I believe. As, it stops people from sleeping, resting, or just living in that certain place. You can see it on benches that have arm rests in the middle. Or spikes on flat surfaces, like sidewalks, presumed seats, and any spot that is limited as optimal space for resting. Or even spikes on the ground or metal bars in certain areas. Anywhere or everywhere in which places don’t want specific people to go.

Though it doesn’t just effect the homeless people. There are people who work that hate them as well. It limits their chances of resting too. As RethinkingTheFuture wrote, “I was wondering what it is. I’m on my feet all day… I’d rather have benches instead of this leaning thing” – Doris Gittens, a nurse at nearby NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. ©Kevin C Downs for New York Daily News.

Photo by: Giuseppe Mondi by Burst

It is called a leaning bar that is used in popular cities like New York City or Brooklyn. Within some crowded areas, it might help. As certain places don’t have the space for a bench. Or with people who find it harder to sit rather than standing. In which case it is reasonable. Though a leaning bar between a usable bench can mean the difference between an environment of positivity versus the atmosphere of coldness.

What the National Institutes of Health discussed was that architecture and mental health are linked to each other. Think about the difference between a sterile, minimalistic hospital versus one that has the opportunity to put color, comfortable seating, art, and a space of a warm welcome. Everything that is needed in an effort to put the people there at ease. Giving them a place in which the environment itself can show that it cares about them. So while a lot of places don’t have the chance or budget for it, such implements do help.

Which means that it effects everyone. To the elderly, people with disabilities, and the tired. Not just the homeless. But it makes it more difficult for the homeless because it gives them nowhere to go. There aren’t many places for them. In shelters, they fear risks of being mugged or taken advantage of.

Photo by: Tomas Hustoles by Burst 

Such exclusionary designs contribute to an uncomfortable environment. It creates a feeling of unpleasant and almost defensive spaces. It shows a mindset of forgetting about our fellow people who are going through horrible times. With no place to go and no place that wants them, what does that do? What does it mean to our general population that our companies, government, and contractors can’t find it within themselves to find a solution rather than just restricting certain people? It is important to find distinctions between giving a safe place for everyone and not just forgetting or dismissing the other half. The people whose voices need to be heard, people who need to be helped, and given some humanity in their time of need.

Having architecture that can make every single person feel included is what makes for a vital place. Think of the public gardens, safe havens, and community events between places that divide classes of the poor and homeless with nowhere to go. It creates an imbalance and places a language that restricts and divides. There are some places, people, and designs that are created for the homeless. But if we have a chance to help them to help everyone, we first need to talk about it. Give our opinions and discussions in order to open this door into figuring out how to help and move forward. So tell me what you think!

Keep learning,

-Mia R.

Entry #1. Walking Around the World.

Welcome back fellow learners! 

It has come to my attention that I hadn’t even discussed who I am or what I like to do. I mean, does anyone truly know what to say when someone asks the age old “so tell me about yourself,” question? I could mention that I like reading or that I have a dreadful sweet tooth problem. 

Although that doesn’t make for a good conversation, I think. So I’ll tell you about an activity that has changed my life. For the better of course. So for this entry, it will be all about little old me and why walking outdoors can be one of the most beneficial things you can do. After reading this, make sure to tell me what you think. 

Photo by: Avelino Calvar Martinez from Burst

Now, I think it has been told to all of us that walking is good for you. Though not a lot of people tell you why or how. Which is probably one of the reasons why so many people are hesitant to do it. After all, it seems like such a small activity to do. Between that and running, lifting weights, and core exercises, it may seem like an unbalanced scale. 

So it can be overlooked, even though it shouldn’t. For example, according to the Better Health Channel that “Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.” So while doing those gym exercise might seem like a better, and harder, use of your time than just walking, it isn’t true! The more you walk, the more you are helping your body. Which means that it can help you reduce preventable health problems like type 2 diabetes and blood pressure. 

Though not all people aren’t walking just because they don’t know how beneficial it is. Things like depression, injuries and sickness, being too busy, and given the fact that not everyone has access to a safe place to walk outdoors can be why. In which case it is very understandable why a person can’t do it. Though walking can help one of those things. 

Did you know that walking can help with depression? Walking can help by getting your body to move. Going outdoors, feeling the sun, wind, and seeing more than beyond a screen can help you more than you know. It also strengthens your body by being active and it doesn’t cost any extra equipment, unlike some gyms. 

Photo by: Lerone Pieters from Burst

Though you should be careful if you do have an injury or sickness. Especially if you are new, it can be dangerous for you to have rigorous exercise without the proper preparations. Like warming up, having good shoes, and taking it slow. As Jody Braverman wrote in GoodRx, “If you're sick, recovering from an illness or injury, or have a weakened immune system, too much physical activity can put more stress on your body. It may worsen symptoms, increase fatigue, and delay recovery. Talk to a healthcare professional about how much walking is safe for you in these situations.” The last sentence being particularly true. 

Though there are walking clubs! So it can also improve your social life by having walking buddies and finding people who understand you and your fitness journey. Two of the reasons why I was even able to walk outdoors is because of my safe neighborhood and having a few or just one walking buddy. So I’m very lucky in those departments. 

I began my first walking journey a year and a half ago. At first I was felt like nearly everyone else. How much does walking really help? Does it even work? So I did it slowly, and went for a ten-minute walk. Then the week after that, finally not having any important work to do, I found myself wanting to walk.

Which was crazy to me because back then, after working hard, there was nothing I wanted to do more than just sleep the rest of the day off. I started to do it more and more, slowly of course. Each time, I felt better and began to look at the research done on walking. I was surprised to say the least! Not even knowing there was whole research, science, and support of just walking. I began to rope my friends and family into it.

I made new connections with them when it was just us and the outdoors. I learned more about them and it all started with just going outside. There were times when it was raining, so we just stayed near the house, away from the elements. There were no screens, no pressure to get from point A to point B, or even whole conversations. At times, we didn’t even talk the whole walk, we were just enjoying each other’s company. 

Photo by: Rahul Pandit from Burst

So while walking might feel like a waste of time compared to other activities, it does help. It can make a difference and there are so many variations of simply walking. Some people, for example, walk backwards! BBC wrote that Janet Dufek and her colleagues have done twenty years of research walking backwards. 

What they have found is it helps the hamstrings and strengthens the back. Although they also had some cases where walking backwards in physiotherapy caused falls and serious injuries, so be careful! All in all, just stretching and moving your body can help improve your life. Thanks for reading and make sure to tell me what you think. 

Keep learning! 

-Mia R.