This is my hometown
We live on the outskirts of the city. 15 years ago, where we live was a small town, country subdivision, with farms and cows mixed in. Now, it's all developed with homes and coffee shops, restaurants, parks, valiant attempts to restore the natural prairies and native plant life on the patches of grass that remain. A nice neighborhood, full of all kinds of folks...working people in all sorts of blue and white collar jobs, SAHMs and Ds, fishies in koi ponds, illegal immigrants who hesitate to talk to us...we got it all!
If you head two miles up toward the city, you hit the new urban landscape in our city. At "my gas station" just now, for example, there's this cracked out lady, three dudes, loitering in a car and laughing at her, and me and a couple other blandies, walking the fast city walk/head down but aware, and for me, frankly...hoping to complete my transaction quickly and that the place doesn't get held up.
My brother and niece (niece, age 5, from small town, USA) were recently approached by some older woman asking for money in the same neighborhood. They "didn't have any" (as everyone likely knows is the way to deal with panhandlers) My niece felt AWFUL about the whole thing, saying she was "always going to remember to bring her wallet, because that lady didn't have any home, any purse, NOTHING!"
Another time, at "my gas station," some older woman came to me and asked for money to stop at the Wendys next door and get a burger. I offered to buy her one inside when I went in, instead. She said, "NO, I want a HOT ONE from Wendys." I told her she could get a hot one inside the gas station. She said "YEAH, well just FORGET IT!" and slowly and messed up-ly walked away.
This neighborhood is right by our local, struggling, on the road to bankruptcy (per the vice principal, on our visit) elementary school. We know of four families, and then several friends of friends who have pulled their kids from that school. We know a few who have stayed.
The neighborhood up the bend. I used to live there in an apartment complex back in '92. Our building has now burned down, sadly, and several of the others were quarantined. But, back then, it was like "the place" for cheap rent seeking people just outta college like me and my friends...cheesy, but safe.
The neighborhood is DEFINITELY more interesting than it's bland days back then.
If you head two miles up toward the city, you hit the new urban landscape in our city. At "my gas station" just now, for example, there's this cracked out lady, three dudes, loitering in a car and laughing at her, and me and a couple other blandies, walking the fast city walk/head down but aware, and for me, frankly...hoping to complete my transaction quickly and that the place doesn't get held up.
My brother and niece (niece, age 5, from small town, USA) were recently approached by some older woman asking for money in the same neighborhood. They "didn't have any" (as everyone likely knows is the way to deal with panhandlers) My niece felt AWFUL about the whole thing, saying she was "always going to remember to bring her wallet, because that lady didn't have any home, any purse, NOTHING!"
Another time, at "my gas station," some older woman came to me and asked for money to stop at the Wendys next door and get a burger. I offered to buy her one inside when I went in, instead. She said, "NO, I want a HOT ONE from Wendys." I told her she could get a hot one inside the gas station. She said "YEAH, well just FORGET IT!" and slowly and messed up-ly walked away.
This neighborhood is right by our local, struggling, on the road to bankruptcy (per the vice principal, on our visit) elementary school. We know of four families, and then several friends of friends who have pulled their kids from that school. We know a few who have stayed.
The neighborhood up the bend. I used to live there in an apartment complex back in '92. Our building has now burned down, sadly, and several of the others were quarantined. But, back then, it was like "the place" for cheap rent seeking people just outta college like me and my friends...cheesy, but safe.
The neighborhood is DEFINITELY more interesting than it's bland days back then.