In 2016, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation teamed up with Humans of Minneapolis street documentarian Stephanie Glaros to produce a series of 15 portraits of visitors to Minneapolis neighborhood parks.
Here, we’re re-posting Stephanie’s series of portraits of parks visitors from her Humans of Minneapolis blog. Look for all portraits in the series on this blog – 2016 and, coming soon, 2017 – by clicking on the Humans of Minneapolis category.
—
Walter, at Harrison Park
“I bring my grandchildren down here on nice, warm days. It’s close to the neighborhood. I like to see them out here playing in the pool. Sometimes I bring them down just to have a picnic. The patrols are going through here a lot to make sure the kids are okay. They give me a workout just sitting out here watching them. There’s a whole lot of enjoyment.
I’ve lived here since 1968, so I go way back. All my sisters and brothers-in-law grew up in the area, plus now my grandkids and nieces and nephews. Raised all four of my kids, ended up being a granddad, and now I’m gonna be a great-granddad. So I’ve done my job.
I’m on disability and I work part-time at the Double Tree hotel. It’s pretty cool, gives me something to do so I don’t get bored. I got hit by a car on December 21st, 1998. I went to a job interview and I got the job. On my way back to my car, another car came around the corner and couldn’t stop. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. Threw out my lower back and I had a brain injury. You can tell by how I speak, I stutter. Sometimes it makes me frustrated because I know what I’m trying to say, but it doesn’t come out like I want it to. I just have to take my time. Other than that, I’m okay. It was a hard struggle for me at the time, but step-by-step I’ve been getting along.”
“What’s your favorite thing about being a grandfather?”
“Watching them grow up. They make my day.”
Listen to Walter’s story:
—
Images and content are reposted with permission from Stephanie Glaros/Humans of Minneapolis.