IPRA Today - Certified Playground Safety Institute CPSI Registration is Open!

"The Noticer"

One of my favorite fiction books is set in Orange Beach at the Gulf State Park. Andy Andrews, author of The Noticer, started his book by telling the true story of his life at its lowest point. His parents had died, he had made a number of bad decisions and he was homeless in Orange Beach, living under the Gulf State Park pier. He talks about a person he had never met, named Jones, visiting him one day under the pier. Over time Jones carefully provided Andy with enough perspective to start over and believe in the possibilities of his life. Andy is now a New York Times best-selling author and an international speaker, but at one point he fished for his food and lived under a pier.

Throughout the book, The Noticer, Jones visits people in crisis yet quickly disappears once they have gained perspective and have changed their approach to life. He plays an important role and ultimately helps them get on track to enjoy their lives and their loved ones to the fullest. Jones is really quite mysterious though, because when the book was over I wasn’t sure he was a person, a spiritual leader, a figment of their imagination or simply a metaphor. Whatever he was, he had a gift and he gave it with others. He noticed things that most people didn’t and he shared his observations and changed people’s lives.

Are we the "Jones" in our communities? Are we providing our residents and customers with perspective about what is important in life? Are we encouraging people to enjoy every moment by offering them programs and facilities that promote physical fitness, family values and the appreciation of open space? If we aren’t, we should be.

Parks, recreation and conservation professionals provide perspective and encourage people to learn a new skill, to walk in a park, to connect with a neighbor or live a healthy lifestyle. We help people rise above the angst of the daily news and the stress of everyday life.

The Illinois Park and Recreation Association should be the "Jones" for our members. It is our goal to provide you with the incredible perspective that what you do is vital to the health and well-being of the communities in Illinois. It is our job to give you the tools to do your job more effectively and efficiently. We should help you "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" as you come in contact with politicians, voters and users of your services.

Alison Neimela, Past-Chair of the IPRA Board has agreed to take on yet another role in our association. This time she is going to chair the Community Campaign Task Force where she and her "dream team" will research and ultimately develop a marketing/public awareness campaign for use in your communities. Only a few remember Life. Be in it. A few more remember Take Time for Fun and most recently, Parks and Recreation: The Benefits are Endless. It’s time for a new campaign; one that will help you promote the value of quality, well-rounded, safe and diverse recreation programs and services in your communities.

The song Mr. Jones by the Counting Crows will always remind me of working at the Rugen Center for the Glenview Park District. It was a time in my career when we had an incredibly close-knit group of staff working together, doing great work and laughing our way through each day! I smile every time I hear the song! Little did we know that the phenomenon in The Noticer would take on this very common name. While the name is common, the concept of providing perspective is exceptional.

I encourage you to be a Noticer. Look around, savor the moment and continue to provide high quality, life-changing services to your community.

You are doing amazing work and you are changing people’s lives.

We’ve noticed.

Information from the book, The Noticer, by Andy Andrews and AndyAndrews.com

-Jan Hincapie, Director of Parks & Recreation
Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation Dept.

536 East Avenue, LaGrange, IL 60525 | Phone: 708-588-2280 | Fax : 708-354-0535