URBAN CHILDCARE

Went for a walk to drop off books at the book nook at P.S. 97 and the battered one in Seth Low Park.  The one at P.S. 97 is usually empty whenever I visit it, but one time I found the book "Humans of New York", so it has a special place in my heart.  Hopefully whoever that take the books from the box either keep them or at some point return them, instead of trashing them.  For the box in Seth Low Park, I referred to it as battered because it has been subjected to much abuse.  Early in its life, it was actually knocked over.  It got rebuilt, but not long afterward its plexiglass pane was cracked.  Some time later, the entire plexiglass glass came off so the box's content was, and is, at the mercy of the elements.  On those occasions I visited Seth Low Park, the box would either be empty or has garbage in it.  Yesterday, it actually had a few books, so today I decided to add some to it.  Again, I hope the books are taken to be read, to be enjoyed, and not soon tossed away because they were free.  Some people just have no concept of community, it's all take-take-take with them, never about giving anything back.

It was a nice day so I decided to sit on a bench at Seth Low Park and watch the book box.  I am always curious who take the books and what how they handle them.  After seeing so many messy boxes, I don't have too much faith in humanity, but still I hope to see some kid getting excited finding a book that they like.  Not today.  Instead, on my way out of the park, I witnessed something that could be scary.  I overheard a guy talking to his toddler about staying in the playground area.  Another toddler who was referred to as "my new friend" by the first toddler, was already out of the playground.  Heading out of the park, into traffic!    I stopped to watch, in case I need to spring into action to scoop up the kid.  Luckily, his mother came calling to him, pushing a stroller.  Only then the second toddler turned around and went back into the playground area.

Some years ago I witnessed something even scarier.  At the corner of Bay Parkway and 85th Street, I think I just finished withdrawing money from the Chase Bank at the corner and was walking home along 85th Street.  A toddler dressed only in diaper trotted the other way toward Bay Parkway.  He actually got onto the roadway, halfway across the two-way road, and fortunately for him a man stopped his car and scooped up the baby.  A short time later, a frantic mother came running to the baby.  It could have been worse.  Ever since then, I became more tuned to wandering toddlers.  I could have stopped the baby before it got on the street, but I didn't act fast enough.  Today, I was ready but it wasn't necessary to get involved.