I’m in Sunny Miami, Florida visiting my family during the holiday weekend. I passed by my old neighborhood in Little Haiti where all of my fondest memories took place and for once I realized how small my block was. It’s off street parking in that neighborhood and only one car can drive down the street at a time. When I was growing up my block seemed so big. I swear 4 cars could have driven down the street at the same time. Although we no longer own the house, I still walked up to it just to inhale the feeling again. The 12-year old Jodine that thought she knew it all and didn’t want to listen to her mom. The 8-year old Jodine that use to act like she knew how to play football cause I had something to prove to the boys. The house seemed so much smaller, felt like it decreased in half from when I use to live there.

Sitting there I wondered, did the house get smaller or did I grow? Not just physically cause I am 5’8 now but mentally, spiritually in all aspects of my life. Has that ever happened to you when visiting your old block? My life in Miami was on 50th Street and that’s all I knew. I occasionally travelled to visit other family member in other cities but for the most part, my life was 50th Street. Going back and sitting on the sidewalk like I use to do while eating a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar made me realize that my old neighborhood is so small cause of the possibilities beyond this place. Little Haiti was such a great city to groom me into the woman that I am now but this life is bigger than 50th Street. I made a pact with my block, I’m going to come back every now and then and continue to measure how much smaller she is getting.

Thank you 50th Street & North Miami Avenue. I appreciate who I am because of you!

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