Most of my childhood years were spent here in NYC. However, when I was 8 my family and I moved to England for about a year. We definitely experienced displacement, and preferred living in NYC.
In high school, all I seriously focused on was sports. I dedicated a lot of time to practice and games and gave it my all. However, in my senior year I tore my ACL and required a surgery that took away my ability to walk for about 2 months. This is an example of leave taking, because I had to say goodbye and turn my back on the single that I cared the most about in high school.
Not to far away from my house, there is a park that I spent much of my childhood in. The park is named after the famous baseball player, Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto, however nobody calls it Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park. Everyone refers to it as smokey park. All the summer I’ve spent at that park, on the swings, in the playground, on the grass field, and playing basketball are very special to me. I am fond of those happy childhood memories, and smokey park has always been a place of joy for me.
