statistics
so i thought because my life is real crazy, id make a little list for yall....
since moving to a big city, how many times I....
-got my bike stripped down to a frame- 1
-was in the house during a break-in- 3
-had to call 911- 2
-got sassed by 911 operator- 1
-slipped on ice and fell on my ass- 2
-fell off bike- 2 and a half
-almost got hit by a car- like 100 times
-saw some older man get punched in the head by some 9th graders for a laugh- 1
-had to make a police report about something i didn't want to- 2
ok now moving on...
how many people i know who...
got mugged- at least 6
got hit by a car and broke something- 4
got beat up for an ipod, even though they didn't have one- 1
have a close relative that was shot in philly- 5
had their car stolen or broken into- 2
so i realize that this is all negative stuff, but in some senses, its made me a bit more aware of my presence's impact on this community. I had no idea what i was in for when i moved here, but im quickly learning about the neighborhood in which i live, and the changes that are occurring within it, and those changes are something that i cannot help but play into. Those changes(read:gentrification) are creating a tension that can be felt at times. I recently saw an amazing play by a person named Beth Nixion entitled "mite we?" that really allowed me to see west Philadelphia through the years, free slave migration north , then white flight, then back to today, were UPENN is throwing money at professors to put down payments on houses in the middle of historically black neighborhoods. White kids not unlike me buying up or renting cheap housing more and more west of the city. UPENN has started sending out its yellow clad troops(college police) farther out from the college, and just yesterday I watched a guy who sleeps on the same bench every night get kicked out and all of his bags thrown away. Do you want to know what the UPENNcops said to him?
"you cant hang around here anymore fella, you see that that new pub that just opened up? the students don't wanna look across the street and see you layin on the bench. Moms are probably scared to bring their kids here because of you! this park is changin', no more loungin around ..now get up and get going or ill have you arrested!"
The puppet show mite we? will be on tour by the way, keep an ear out.
since moving to a big city, how many times I....
-got my bike stripped down to a frame- 1
-was in the house during a break-in- 3
-had to call 911- 2
-got sassed by 911 operator- 1
-slipped on ice and fell on my ass- 2
-fell off bike- 2 and a half
-almost got hit by a car- like 100 times
-saw some older man get punched in the head by some 9th graders for a laugh- 1
-had to make a police report about something i didn't want to- 2
ok now moving on...
how many people i know who...
got mugged- at least 6
got hit by a car and broke something- 4
got beat up for an ipod, even though they didn't have one- 1
have a close relative that was shot in philly- 5
had their car stolen or broken into- 2
so i realize that this is all negative stuff, but in some senses, its made me a bit more aware of my presence's impact on this community. I had no idea what i was in for when i moved here, but im quickly learning about the neighborhood in which i live, and the changes that are occurring within it, and those changes are something that i cannot help but play into. Those changes(read:gentrification) are creating a tension that can be felt at times. I recently saw an amazing play by a person named Beth Nixion entitled "mite we?" that really allowed me to see west Philadelphia through the years, free slave migration north , then white flight, then back to today, were UPENN is throwing money at professors to put down payments on houses in the middle of historically black neighborhoods. White kids not unlike me buying up or renting cheap housing more and more west of the city. UPENN has started sending out its yellow clad troops(college police) farther out from the college, and just yesterday I watched a guy who sleeps on the same bench every night get kicked out and all of his bags thrown away. Do you want to know what the UPENNcops said to him?
"you cant hang around here anymore fella, you see that that new pub that just opened up? the students don't wanna look across the street and see you layin on the bench. Moms are probably scared to bring their kids here because of you! this park is changin', no more loungin around ..now get up and get going or ill have you arrested!"
The puppet show mite we? will be on tour by the way, keep an ear out.