play street

yeah, another thing i've never herad of before coming up here is the Play Street. MY street happens to be the Play Street this year. not that i'm sure if it's the play street every year or not, but it's just funny that i came home one day and saw that parking and traffic were prohibited for the sole purpose of letting kids play in the street. it's an excellent idea really. granted, the crooked drug-dealing cops down the block are responsible for it, but doens't that make it all the better?

not that water is expensive, sarcastically speaking, but one must wonder if this will indeed be the highlight of these kids summer. wearing their bathing suits and sandals, these kids are really treating this as the pool, or amusement park, or beach (as i've seen one kid with his plasitc pail and shovel). and though i could understand if they had no way to get to coney island, or long peach, or robert moses park, that is not the case. many of my students take two trips to the domincan republic a year, but can't affor pencils...how the fuck does that happen?! how can they walk in with the latest in electronic gear and games, but not be able to afford a $3 notebook? "mr. wilborn, can i take notes on my Sony PSP?" no! you can't!!

but i digress. the truth is that it's quite nice coming home and finding that all the children in a 5 block radius are on your street at the same time playing wiffle-ball and playing in the cities water exploding from the emergency hydrants with such glee and joy. protected. watched out for. it's kinda like when my dad gave me money to take girls to motels because he didn't want me fooling around in empty parking lots in his brand new minivan. i was young then too. and i did appreiciate that added protection, knowing that i could fall asleep without someone mugging me behind the deserted high school. i know how these kids feel, and it's good.

until i go for my mid-day ciesta and hear 10-year-olds fighting over a fucking frisbee.

playstreet, another reason i love and hate new york city.