Flowers in California

Flowers in California

Monday, April 26, 2010

Signs of the Past

I heard on the news last week about people who swam over to a deserted island at Disney World and snooped around. They took pictures. They got in trouble. Disney doesn't like that. I wouldn't really want to make Disney mad.

Now, I have enjoyed my few trips to Disney parks and hope to go again soon. They are magical places. But, I may be more fascinated to explore the deserted island than the places you're supposed to go. Abandoned places can be fascinating.

I am a generally well-behaved person and don't do the urban exploring that some people do but I am really intrigued by what these people find. I've seen pictures of an abandoned water park at Disney World too. It was so recognizable for what it had been but so obviously out of use now.

Closer to home, home being in 2 cities, I am fascinated by things like the generally unused subway station in Toronto that is under the Bay subway station. I am also fascinated that there were plans for something else at the Queen Street station too and I forget whether it was dug out or not. In the neighbourhood where I grew up, I find it interesting that there are 2 houses that predate everything else built there. What was it like there when they were built? And, if there was farmland all around, why were they built so close together? I am fascinated by old department stores and would like to snoop around every nook and cranny and see how things used to be. Were there lovely old restaurants? There may be hidden beauty. In Winnipeg, which is not home but is very interesting, the Eaton's downtown store was loaded in history. Sadly, it was taken down. I do have a book about it though.

In so many towns, there used to be railroad stations and now they're gone. There may be a Railway Street left behind, however, and finding it and the train tracks (if they're still there) may lead to the station site. In the city where I live now, my family has done a little research and driving around to find a former train station that is now apartments. I just find that so interesting.

I could go on and on but I won't. Suffice it to say there are also underground tunnels between buildings (which may or may not be used anymore), abandoned hotels and motels (which kind of freak me out), abandoned malls, old theatres (most theatres where I had dates are gone now), old amusement parks, old schools (which I don't like), abandoned towns and more. OK, I did go on and on. I like this stuff.

There are so many little bits of history around from times to which we can relate. I have a bit more trouble with the times when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I'm not interested in old battlefields but studying traces of history from our rapidly changing world is a real interest of mine. And having interests just helps make life fun.

JAHD

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