The Where I Live series aims to showcase our diverse city and region by spotlighting its many vibrant neighborhoods. Each week a local resident invites us over and lets us in on what makes their neighborhood special. Have we been to your neighborhood yet? Get in touch to share your story. If your story is selected and published, you will receive a $250 stipend.
I live on South Navidad Street and I am an after school art teacher at the nonprofit, San Antonio Cultural Arts, just two blocks down from where I stay.
I walk to work, boots on the pavement. I notice every tree, every cat, dog, vine living and breathing on my path. If I am lucky, I get to pet Christmas, the fluffy white dog on the porch that belongs to the mint-colored house on the corner. As I pass that house, I’m halfway to work. I avoid the mud and the house with the noisy chihuahuas who bark at me despite seeing me everyday.
I switch to the street. I am careful, watching out for needles on the ground. I haven’t seen any in awhile. I get to the corner store. I see the elders in the alley on their walkers taking a rest. I nod my head and say hello. They say hello to me and my son.
My son, 10 years old, comes with me to work. They have always been around art since they were a toddler. We share this vision that one day they will be an artist when they grow up. They help me water my seedlings in our community garden when we arrive. We come in, cool off and get ready for the after school kids to arrive.
A knock at the door — It’s Dessert, a houseless community member who asks us for some applesauce and a T-shirt. Like many others on our block, she is hungry, hot and houseless. I offer her water, make her a sandwich and give her one of our T-shirts. I listen to her talk and it’s a lot of reality to hear at 2 p.m., but I know everyone needs someone to talk to sometimes. I know I do.
Class starts at 3:30 p.m., but students start knocking at 3:15. I open the door with a smile, regardless of how I really feel that day. They come in and I make them sandwiches and slice apples and make koolaid. Usually while we snack, I play a movie or anime while we all catch up on our day.
“Miss Sheila, there was a fight at school!”
“Miss, someone has a crush on me!”
“Miss, today can we paint?!”
Quickly the classroom becomes chaos. Paint, popcorn, giggles and banter. There I am, dizzy in the thick of it, careful to tend to each student’s interests and needs. With a glue gun and cardboard we can make anything! Just please, no glitter! But normally, I see their vision, and we end up using glitter.
Now it’s 5:00 p.m. and time to clean up. Together we pick up chip bags and paint cups. Another day of art done!
I head home and the world looks different this time. It’s sundown. Now, it’s time for my second shift — my personal art time. If I am lucky, I squeeze in some time to rest before heading to my meet up with other artists or I work on my personal projects.
Some of my mediums at the moment are paper mache and textiles. And lately, I have been into block printing on recycled clothing and sewing luchador masks from scratch fabrics like recycled children’s old clothing. I also build props and masks out of paper mache. I work until late and end the night with a cigarette on my porch, safe at home. I hear the train and I think to myself, “home is where I hear the train and roosters.”
I love my little slice of heaven on Navidad Street.
