You already knew this
Published 9:54 pm Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Apparently, Suffolk Rocks.
Well, you probably already knew that. It doesn’t take long for someone to live in our fair city before they come to the conclusion that it’s a great place to be.
But Suffolk — and now Hillpoint Elementary School — “rock” in a different sort of way lately, and the trend seems to have taken off faster than the Pokemon Go craze that swept the city last year.
Suffolk Rocks is the name of a Facebook group that was started as a way of giving folks a way to share their artistic talents and getting them out of the house, exploring the city. Unlike the Pokemon game, this one doesn’t require a smartphone, and it encourages families to have fun together and actually look around at their surroundings.
The idea is simple. Folks have been purchasing rocks of various sizes, painting them with all manner of scenes and designs and then hiding them at various locations around the city — from parks to businesses to bike paths. When someone finds a hidden, decorated rock, they’re encouraged to make a Facebook post on the Suffolk Rocks page with a photo of the rock that was found. Then, they can rehide it, keep it or replace it with one of their own.
There are no prizes — except, of course, for the rocks themselves and the sense of accomplishment at having found one. And then there’s the satisfaction of having spent time discovering new parts of the city.
We were guardedly optimistic about the Pokemon Go craze, imagining that it would get more people outside, where they could enjoy some of the great things Suffolk has to offer, but that game never really seemed to reach its potential in that regard.
We think the Suffolk Rocks pastime has a better chance of achieving that goal, as it encourages a slower and more deliberate exploration.
And the Hillpoint Rocks effort that has grown out of the larger one is a great sort of spinoff. Students at that school have painted more than 20 rocks that have been hidden in stairwells, hallways and the playground. When kids find the rocks, they can turn them in for prizes. The rocks are painted with designs and encouraging messages — right in time for the Standards of Living tests that can be so challenging.
Suffolk Rocks, and so does Hillpoint Elementary. But you already knew that.