Hayden Park
My group and I are at Hayden Park. I am not sure of the exact location but we are just west of central, north of Rosier. My lens picks up a small group of children having a wonderful time on the playground. They are laughing, running and enjoying the sunny afternoon. The children are oblivious to our eyes. They are merely being children. As I widen my lens I see more activity at the park. There is an elderly gentleman chatting on the payphone directly underneath the painting of the Virgin Guadelupe on the recreation center. It appears that he rode his bike here. A few steps away there are four young boys having an exhausting game of basketball. Mothers are strolling the perimeter of the park with babies in tow. There is also a young couple just slowly shuffling their way around the park, they too are enjoying the suns warmth. In the parking lot there is a truck filled with city employees who appear to be enjoying their lunch at the park. As time passes by activity here increases. It looks as though the entire neighborhood utilizes this place
However, as I widen my lens, I notice that just beyond the baseball diamond there is, what appears to be a masonry plant. Complete with cement mixers, steel scaffolds, and rusted equipment. Directly next to this masonry plant is a scrapyard or junkyard. There are tons of rusted steel, which in better days were automobiles, heaped on top of each other. Twisted, mangled machinery left out in the open, rusting away. It seems completely out of place next to this quaint, quiet park. Beyond the swings are mobile homes that have seen better days. Not one blade of grass is noticeable near these trailers. Paint is chipping off, some aluminum is warped, but these are homes for families. Just half a block away cars zoom by,on their way to somewhere important, I am sure. The motorists are unaware of this little oasis right here in south Phoenix where the neighborhood gathers and cultures survive.