The Old Timers Will Remember, Part Three: Our Stories Create Our Community

Paul Riggins, President of the Quail Creek Writers and Poets

Note: This article is the final part of a three-part series designed to acquaint the reader with some of the history and unique aspects of our Quail Creek community. Parts one and two were published in the March and April issues of the Quail Creek Crossing.

Many residents of our community sometimes wonder how they got here, living in this beautiful, upscale resort community for older adults. Although we are older adults, most of us do not feel like older adults. We often feel like we are living well and happily at some other time in our lives. We realize that it is our past and the paths we have journeyed that have brought us to this place and time. We also realize that as the influence of the pandemic lessens around us, we were fortunate to live in Quail Creek. Our lives did change, yet new understandings, experiences, and friends did, and still do, make a difference and cause us to be more reflective than ever before in our lives.

Within the gates of our Quail Creek community, there are many stories, coincidences, and connections. We all have experienced them. It is important to honor and respect our stories that have formed our lives and still give us meaning today. Whatever our past has been and wherever it has taken us, we all have ended up living here, sharing the same place at the same time. This reality is worth some deep reflection. For example, do you ever wonder why you are here and what it means in terms of your future?

In parts one and two of this series, I have previously mentioned our Quail Creek community dog park. Many of you are familiar with it; some of you are not. For some, your journey has never taken you over to our dog park. This does not matter. All of us, in some way, are influenced by what happens over at that little green and brown area within our community. It is here that we share our stories, meet friends and neighbors, and meet prospective friends and neighbors. We listen to the dogs speak (yes, they speak in their own way), and our tummy rubs and scratches extend to everyone present (both dogs and humans). The term family is mentioned often by a variety of visitors.

It is at the dog park that we share our concerns, our pleasures, our hopes, and our dreams. We tell our stories and learn that our stories are similar to the stories we hear from other dog park visitors. This is so important because this dynamic creates the web of life that forms the essence and being of our community. Think about it; our dog park receives approximately 18,000 visits per year, and the average time of stay at the park is about 30 minutes. This means that there are about 9,000 hours of opportunity per year to create and build community.

Our Quail Creek community has many other locations, activities, and opportunities to expand on the significance and importance of our dog park. We are all connected, and our stories are wonderful foundations to building and maintaining our community. So, enjoy your friends, neighbors, and activities, and do not hesitate to share your stories. It is what we are all about. Our stories become a metaphor for holding hands and being united, which is the essence of real community.