Field Notebook

As I begin my journey into the streets of the Bronx, the sun slowly creeps out from behind the clouds. Surely this was a sign that today was going to be an excellent day. While walking down the sidewalk I noticed many things. Despite it being early September, it seems as though the leaves were already competing with the sidewalk for a place to rest. As I continue down the street, the park caught my eye. The monkey bars seemed to be exploding orange. Maybe it was because the sun just came out and there was still water all over them. As fun as they looked, the aftermath the rain storm left them bare and unloved. Plants that need a trimming consume the fence that surround the park and the railings on the side of the newly paved stairs that enter it. Finally I've reached the corner where the green box giving power to the crosswalk sign catches my eye. Upon it lay two posters. One filled with bright yellows and oranges promoting a spanish music festival  and the other mostly black with a picture of earth on it preaching about saving our planet. 

As people wait for the bus a few feet away from me, I wait for the little digit crosswalk man to say it's my turn to cross. The little man pops up on the screen giving me the ok to cross. Just before I start walking I am startled from behind by an older woman speaking spanish on her cell phone in a bit of a panic. Together we make our way to the end of the crosswalk only to go our separate ways. While continuing on the sidewalk over the bridge I see MTA officials working on the trains while they wait to depart. I also notice graffiti slowly starting to devour the cement underneath the fence that overlooks the train yard. Words like "ARK", "Gas One", "XPRESS" and other illegible phrases written in black and silver sit their just staring at me. I continue on toward the corner where I plan on taking a closer look at people. A little girl dressed in pink, skipping with her doll in hand and mother by her side bolt by me trying to catch the bus that clearly wants to leave. 

Finally I make it to my destination, the entrance to the train station. Being from a small town that's  a square mile only fifteen minutes north from here I start to really take notice of all the people traveling to different places. I never see this in my town because the nearest train station is a fifteen minute drive away. Even the bus stops  by my house are rarely occupied. Over the course of half an hour I must have seen at least fifty people walk into the train station. Everyone seemed to be in their own little worlds and backpacks and headphones really seemed to be trending.  Despite all the big puddles at every corner of the intersection, groups of people with MTA cards in hand scurried across the street in that fifteen second crossing window ready to board their train or catch the bus. This corner didn't seem to be a hangout place. The two little shop jammed packed with snacks and newspapers were overrun by all two people shopping there. Everyone who walked by appeared determined to get somewhere. Suddenly a yellow jacket that had seem to fall in love with me decided my note pad would be a nice place to hangout. Like the sun coming out before I left, I figured this was a sign that my trip was slowly coming to an end. That being said, I decided to pack up and head back down the busy city street to go hop in my car and return home to the quiet little town I call home.