Douglasville & Surrounding Boroughs
Douglasville and the territory around it are deeply ingrained in the very DNA of my personal and family history. My sense of place here would be discussed in the context of a very deep personal and familial history, one that acts as the roots and anchor that keep me here. It is where I grew up, and where most of my closest family is settled. It is where I found many friends, where I’ve learned, played, explored, worked, and made numerous memories. From the schools I attended throughout my life, to the attractions, diners, coffee shops, bistros, and the local mall and theater, there is no shortage of places in this area in which I have made a plethora of memories. There are not many places where you can walk into a shop or restaurant and be greeted by name. Even my practical health advisor is a family friend who jovially calls out to me whenever we meet up. At his office, all that’s missing in our friendly interactions are the beers. It’s those connections, the people, that bring it to life, that bring all the history and all the memories together into the metaphorical anchor that pulls my heart right back here, no matter how far I travel. This is where my grandparents settled after they came to the United States, and this is likely where I will stay.
The Parks of Douglasville & Lithia Springs
When I was a child, it used to be that wide open parks were places where my family and I would explore and have a wide array of adventures. My imagination could run wild, and I could reenact battle scenes or heroic moments from favorite movies and shows in places like these, me, my friends, and my siblings together. Clinton Farms, Deer Lick Park, Sweetwater Creek, each is tied to my past in a collection of seemingly small but memorable ways, each rich with fun bonding experiences, exciting encounters, and magical moments. Since then, I grew to appreciate the connection with nature some can find in these parks, and the community experiences one can have at places like these. They are deeply rooted in the history of my lifetime hometown, so the story I tell here would find its roots in not just my personal connections to these places, but their origins and history as well.
Historical Downtown Douglasville
Some of the many aspects that can give an individual a “sense of place” as it were, are the history of a place, and the spiritual connection they have with it. I’ve always been seen as something of an old soul in a young body by many in my closest circles, and nothing makes me feel more in tune with that than my personal spiritual connection to the core of my hometown, the place where it all began in the 1850s, Downtown Douglasville, the beginnings of Douglas County. The story I would tell here would speak to the connection I feel to this place’s history, and lingering rustic atmosphere. There is something about this place, something in the air, that speaks to the unique past of Douglas County, its age, and the souls who lived here before. In the summer and the holidays, it’s still commonly a lively place, full of exciting events, large and small, including bands playing at the courtyard stage behind the local pub, conventions for gamers and anime lovers, and church gatherings complete with barbecues and a sense of communion. The mom & pop shops, antique stores, and cozy diners really make you feel like you’ve stepped back into the past with a modern twist, and the old courthouse, now a museum, completes that feeling.
