That hydrant will be on all summer day. Why?…well where else are we supposed to keep cool.
When you can’t afford a theme park, or when a park is just so far away and no one in your family drives.
So many future Olympians lived in the poorest community never to see their gold medals.
This was a daily adventure for us as middle schoolers. There were no CSI or Criminal Minds shows to frighten our parents into scolding us for playing here. So play we did.
Abandoned buildings were everywhere in the South Bronx of the 70’s and 80’s. There were few parks; and so this was play land.
Views from the train, everyday, on the 5 train from Brook Avenue to 42nd Street.
The graffiti craze was crazy in the late 70’s early 80’s. It was like Twitter for the walls.
Childhood
By E. R. Smith
The South Bronx experience. New York circa the 1970’s was my childhood playground. I played in abandoned buildings with my little brother and friends. We didn’t know about serial killers; for that matter we didn’t yet know children could die. Adventure was the name of our day long before Dora the Explorer. Public transportation was dirty, crowded, and colorful. I saw many a graffiti artist compete for best picture. I saw them all as artists. Mattresses were trampolines for the Olympians America has never met. Even then I thought as I watched my friends flip; where’s the committee that chooses participants for the Olympics? I want to see my friends win a medal. Childhood doesn’t understand demographics. Politics were a mystery. We were totally poor and never knew it. Ignorance was all around us and we were blissfully unaware. Knowing what I know now; I still miss my childhood and wouldn’t change a thing.
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Author: Liz
An early childhood educator for years, entering into new realms of possible. Sharing what I've come to know and eager to learn what's needed. A life long learner with a heck of a journey ahead.
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