don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

I'm running for mayor of Tampa. My campaign theme is "a well city that's fit, fun and free." What do you think? A few questions come to mind for your consideration: Does this theme have a nice ring to it and does it seem desirable? Also, do you think people will know what I'm talking about?

I think it's an attractive theme -- I know I would vote for someone with such an agenda. Since the terms fit, fun and free can and do mean different things to different people, I thought I ought to be a bit more specific about each. Yesterday I described what the FIT part of the campaign entails. Today's topic is the FUN part.

Of course, a well city that is fit, fun and free is not my only goal. I also want a well city where people embrace personal responsibility and individual freedom, where courtesy and civility are valued and practiced, where continuing education is available to all, where there are ample incentives for involvement in local government and where wellness qualities are integrated into city life and public policy. Furthermore, just as these three areas of fit, fun and free interconnect and complement with each other, so too do they affect such seemingly unrelated areas as transportation, public safety, growth management, the business climate, job availability and so on. A simple example can be seen in the recent failed effort by Tampa Bay regional leaders to attract the 2012 Olympics -- clearly a bold and epic venture to attract a fun event of global proportions to our area. Unfortunately, traffic congestion, woefully inadequate roads and lack of a rapid transit system helped disqualify Tampa Bay from Olympic consideration. The Games and the fun AND the cash they would generate are gone. (The local transportation challenges remain.)

Point made, I hope. For now, the topic is FUN.

What, exactly, do I have in mind for FUN? How do I propose making Tampa a city where residents and visitors might have more fun if I'm elected than they do now?

The word fun seems simple enough but it is not. Fun has many connotations and takes wildly different forms. For example, a search for "fun" at Yahoo.com led to websites promoting amusement parks, tattoo artists, a music club, balloons, moonwalks, inflatable games, popcorn, cotton candy vending machines, a "fun science lab," and numerous multimedia web applications. This was just the beginning -- the first page of links -- it went on and on. Clearly, fun takes many forms, which is surely a good thing, but I will have to be a bit specific about my idea of Tampa as a fun city. Fun for whom, under what conditions and at what hours of the day and night?!

Fun takes forms agreeable to nearly all citizens, such as good museums, bike paths, trails and fitness and recreation centers, but there are different segments of the population who prefer some kinds of fun more than others. Seniors, for example, probably have more interest in trails and senior centers than skateboard parks and city-sponsored rock festivals.

What IS fun, anyway? I think fun starts with happiness. Jefferson said, "The freedom and happiness of man...are the sole objects of all legitimate government." I like that, but I also recognize that things have become more complex since this giant walked the earth and guided our young nation that has over the centuries evolved into the model for varied freedoms we enjoy today. Ben Franklin said, "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." Just so. How might a mayor make it just a bit easier for citizens to pursue and "catch" more happiness and fun? I have four key suggestions -- many more will follow in time geared specifically to seniors, youth groups and everyone in-between. (It's VERY important not to overlook the in-betweens, for the average age in Tampa is 35! We are a very young city -- we better offer fun opportunities or they'll move to St. Pete!

1. Open Bayshore Boulevard to citywide community wellness festivals. Initially, only the center greensward and the two lanes on the bay side of Bayshore would be closed off on a one weekend per month basis. On the wellness festival weekend each month, Bayshore would be to Tampa what Central Park is to New York -- a beautiful place for recreation, community and good clean fun! There would be a farmer's market with foods, flower and arts tents set up for miles on end. There would be tents and booths for volunteer organizations, government agencies and civic groups to advertise their missions and seek recruits. Art shows would abound, and city and other public officials would mingle and hear about public ideas and concerns.
2. Educate people about the nature of fun. Fun includes play and humor. A mayor can promote initiatives that enable more people to understand what fun is, how important it is to a healthy life, the role of humor and play in work performance, healing and the good life and how fun can be experienced more often.
3. Take steps to assist educators to make learning more fun in all Tampa schools. Humor and play facilitate learning and improve productivity. As one master humorist and fellow wellness promoter (Bob Basso) wrote in his best-seller "This Job Should Be Fun," every teacher, every manager should in one way or another send three messages to his/her people daily: 1) I care; 2) You matter; and 3) This job should be fun. Just so -- and so should your city be a fun place to live, as well.
4. Establish large-scale public playdays throughout the city, not just on Bayshore Boulevard during the monthly community wellness festivals. The city can facilitate varied "games for the many," which will include "big kids" (including seniors) as well as the usual variety of youngsters! As part of the neighborhood wellness fun festivals, community groups can celebrate their commitment to the enjoyment of life by doing all kinds of creative things, from setting up food booths and music stations that showcase local talent to engaging in good spirited frivolity. As mayor, I will take the lead in developing for distribution to interested citizen groups "fun starter kits" with ideas for celebrations. There are countless little things that many volunteers can and will want to do to spark local groups to further celebrate life in Tampa and help neighborhood talents create a dazzling array of activities that bring happiness and delight into our community life. Every weekend and more than a few weekdays, for that matter, can be mini-Gasparilla parade-like occasions for fun, without the necessity of trash or alcohol. Costumes, however, might fit nicely, on occasions!

Personally, I'd like to see a nice beach in Tampa, but our access to the Gulf of Mexico is somewhat limited. Just the same, we do enjoy three modest beaches, a couple of marinas, a fine zoo, and 139 parks comprising over 1700 acres. We're off to a good start -- now let's get serious (but not too grim) about creating the conditions for people to have more fun in Tampa.

In any case, be well and look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MEANING DOMAIN under the skill area of applied wellness. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell