A Bit of Nostalgia

Arguably the most iconic spot in Queens is Flushing Meadows Corona Park. In it lies the Unisphere, a giant stainless-steel representation of the Earth, complete with three rings representing the first artificial satellites orbiting our lovely little planet. It evokes a sense of reverence the first time you see it. Just from the size alone it’s easy to get swept up in a sort of tourist-like sense of awe. The site itself has a vast history; starting off as a salt marsh, turned to an Ash dumping ground, then finally being restored as a park for the worlds fair. However, I cannot comment much on such topics since I haven’t been there to witness the park in that state. What I can say is that the Unisphere remains a symbol of peace and the park still remains a fair in a different way.

Full disclosure, I took the blog picture before Quarantine started. It was sometime in July 2018 when the Junta Hispana was taking place. It was a sort of festival with Hispanic artists performing various songs and dances from their respective country in Latin America. We took the opportunity and made it a family outing with my cousins joining in to witness the various venues. Behind every tree was a family barbecue, the charcoal smell wafting through the air. As I stepped closer to the venues an all too familiar aroma greeted my nose. The sweet, doughy, fried goodness of empanadas. Weaving in and out of the large crowds it was difficult to get around but everywhere one stepped they were greeted by a different vibrant culture. It was no mistake that even outside the park there were lines of makeshift cart grills, charcoaled corn and elotes ready for distribution to the masses. Wherever you went there was no escaping the booming music, even at a distance from the speakers I felt the invigorating pulse of the music in my ribcage. It was a beautiful display of the Hispanic communities that thrive in Queens, it’s also one of many events that won’t be taking place this year.

I visited the park over quarantine and for better or for worse the situation has only changed slightly. Still on the way to the park entrance are the makeshift grills on shopping carts. Families in the constant exchange of leaving and entering the park. Volleyball games were being held in the shade. The same ice cream trucks were in their usual spots selling to the eager children and tired adults. It was almost like the world hadn’t stopped, up until you saw a face mask (which was less common than I would have liked) it was rather easy to forget all about the virus that stopped our world. I met up with two of my friends, Alex and Ian, even with the face masks on I could pick them from a crowd by the back of their heads. We picked a nice spot in the field, far away from the crowds so we could toss around a frisbee. We were able to take refuge within each other, for just a moment we forgot about our mutual tormentor and instead basked in the sunlight. In the center lay the Unisphere, our planet, still as its ever been. In promise of one day a return to the normalcy which we witnessed there on that day.