Walk 5: I Walk In Your Name

For this walk, I asked my parents what they would want me to walk for. They mentioned that they wanted this walk to cause people to reflect on the importance of cherishing the past, both the places that hold our memories and the time we often take for granted. In their name, I walked through our neighborhood and stopped at places tied to my childhood: (in order of the attached photos) the spot where the school bus picked up and dropped off me and my siblings, the street where we played basketball and rode our bikes, a tree that we planted but never really grew because we didn't plant it in the right area, and next to it I show our new tree planting area that's being taken care of, the old and now renovated house of a neighbor who became a grandmother figure to me and my siblings, and an area in my backyard that still carries a patch of pale sand where we used to have a pool area when I was younger.

My parents asked me to observe how these places have changed and to think about how quickly life moves. This pushed me to consider what it means to hold onto the past, it can be held in memory, but it can also be through action such as by preserving stories, staying connected, and appreciating where we come from. I walked down the streets slowly, looking around, and pausing at each spot to remember and reflect. I took photos of the places I visited, along with other things I stumbled upon that reminded me of my childhood and shared them with my parents. In their name and through my walk, I raise awareness of the quiet beauty in the ordinary and the importance of remembering.

As I moved from one place to the next, I was surprised by how nostalgic the experience became. There was a calmness and joy in seeing how these ordinary places still held pieces of memory on who I used to be growing up. The walk reminded me how much small everyday moments matter and how they can stay and shape a person. It helped me slow down and really cherish previous memories, not just as distant moments in life but as living parts of my story. I encourage others to take a similar walk through their own neighborhoods or places that hold meaning to them as a chance to reconnect with the past, relive stories, or to carry those memories forward with appreciation and care.