The first thing that caught my eye the first time I walked through Monroe Park was the fountain. It has been standing in Monroe Park for at least a century and time has definitely taken a toll on the landmark. Contrary to the pictures I’ve seen online, this fountain is rusting, the vegetation surrounding it is still present, but it lacks the luster it once had. In its heyday, the park hosted a number of concerts and political protests, it was the center of life for most. However, a sudden tragedy put a blunt end to most of the festivities and attractiveness of the park. The park was abandoned and left to battle the elements on its own with little to no upkeep. Anyone who passes through the park can see the effects of this abandonment, the cracked and missing walkways and the rusting fountain are sad remnants of what the park once was. As I walked further through the park, I noticed there are several statues that have been erected to commemorate the Confederate generals and soldiers significant to Richmond area during the Civil …show more content…
They fought to defend their way of life that was ultimately the result of the horrors of slavery. And as they remain standing, they maintain the hateful values of the Confederacy into modern times. So how can these statues that have cause so much pain, stay relatively clean, while the fountain; which was the center of community, breaks down in the center of the park? I believe that you have to take care of the things that are important to you or they fall apart, much like the park. I wanted to explore the meaning of community in today’s context. The rusting, and what happens when we don’t put enough significance of maintaining a sense of community. What does it mean to be part of a community? The definition of community that I like the most is the feeling of belonging with other because of common