Every now and then when a discussion comes up about changes in Mansfield I like to share my thoughts. Mansfield is the first place I remember living and the place I will always consider as my hometown. When we moved away in 1983 I thought I would have that community feeling in other places but Ive never found it. There is something uniquely special about an original American town like Mansfield. Ive lived in Texas, California, Virginia, and Georgia. Always in large cities with sprawling suburbs. No matter what happens to Mansfield it will ALWAYS be that American town. You cant rewrite a towns history or change its soul entirely. Suburban sprawl doesnt have Main Streets with parades, and the mom and pop businesses, and one high school, and public commons with war memorials and people who know each other and have a history together. It is just a series of subdivisions developed as places to live for commuters with swim/tennis facilities. There are no hearts in suburban sprawl and no real history. No town halls, beautiful old factories and libraries. There are subdivisions and strip malls and thats it. I know its painful to see endless condos going up and the mom and pops giving way to infringing corporations. Its painful to imagine my memories being replaced. I urge you to fight for the history, the old buildings...even if they have to be repurposed. But I also urge you to cherish what Mansfield can never lose. A documented, remembered history...a place unto itself...with people that lived shared lives. A real honest to goodness town with a heart.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 06:33:00 +0000