Maeve Jackson: Public/Private

Enderis Park

The location is Enderis Park, near the intersection of 71st Street and Locust.  The park is in the center of the neighborhood that I grew up in, which is rightfully called Enderis Park Neighborhood.  This park was my backyard, literally I just have to go through my neighbor’s backyard and driveway and I am there.  This park was the place many significant events in my life.  The park was my hiding place from home, the place I played all my childhood game.  Later in life it became the place I did all my teenage mischief.  But there was one moment in that park that I will never forget.  I used to go on walks at night with my childhood friends.  We were sophomores in high school and going through hard times so we would take walks to share stories and help each other out.  We only lived a block away from each other so we would meet on our intersecting corner.  That night she called me and said she wanted to go on a walk with me and had something to tell me.  On our walk we ended up in the tennis courts, where laid down to look at the stars.  We were silent for a while and then I remembered she had something to tell me.  She ended up telling me that she was gay.  My answer was, “okay”  I really did not have anything else to say.  All the years I spent with her, I never thought about her sexuality, and it was not going to change at that moment.  Sadly, I have lost most connect with her and the other people I shared moments with in that space.  I run into the people once in a while and what we always end up talking about is the times growing up in that parks.