REFLECTION:
In another’s eye, this is just another typical sketch of a “Down-town” scenery. But, whose town is it? What is its significance? For the residents of the community living south of the Rio Salado, this is a very familiar sight. Each day, the residents of this community drive north to get to work to take home a hard-earned paycheck in hopes that someday, they will be better off. Perhaps someday they will make enough money to get that new house they’ve always dreamed of- a bigger two-level home with a two-car garage, a clean yard full of green grass, new roofing, new refrigeration and heating units for the cold winters and hot summers. Most definitely they will live in a community where crime and violence is very low and barred windows are unnecessary. Perhaps, here their children will receive a better education. Perhaps they will be able to play outdoors with other neighborhood children, worry-free. As I look at the sketch above, I realize that I see the same thing from the West. Drive to the North, or view it from the East, and nothing changes. The only obvious changes are the sequences of the building structures along with our geographical locations. At its simplest, we all share the same aspirations and dreams in life- success and the ability to provide our family with all that we had and more. The descriptions above are some of my own, yet quickly it is attributed as those of South Phoenix residents. Look around. You will find that we all share the same success as well as failures. It is evident throughout the valley, not just in South Phoenix.