note to self: reminder of why this work matters
Here ya go, a feel-good story from my life that isn't just posting DJ sets :)
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inspirational reminder to myself of why this work matters:
a few nights ago I was walking K-dog about 11 o clock or so -- south city has been hopping the past two weeks in both good and bad ways - lots of people out on the streets because of warm weather and spring break, gunshots every night, lots of people on stoops -- the beginning of spring and summer.... -- and all of the sudden I look up and there's about 30 teenagers ready to rumble - total West Side Story style (minus the snapping) - a line of about 15 on one side, a line of about 15 on the other - yelling, cursing, occasionally two breaking out of the group and landing a few punches before joining their respective sides
It's a situation that quite frankly would have terrified me 9 months ago, yet I felt utterly calm. Normally I'd be content to just hang back and make sure no one got really hurt, but J was out front of one side of kids with a brick in his hand and a kid I didn't recognize was out front of the other group of kids with a full-on machete in his hand. I made my way to the middle of them (the dog helped here as everyone backed up) and convinced them that they could fight but they had to put the brick and the knife down. Surprisingly enough, they listened.
So a few more punches get thrown and another kid (a kid who I did /not/ expect to be there as he is one of the most polite bike shop attendees - always yes, sir; thank you, sir; etc) pulls me aside and says "Don't worry E, we're just playing. Don't worry." I tell him that a full on street brawl complete with weapons didn't exactly look like playing to me - then another kid calls him out for talking to me. "Why you talking to him man, who the fuck is he, etc etc" 3 of the kids respond "He works at the bike shop"
Suddenly the fight gets put on hold, literally, and everyone is peppering me with questions about when the bike shop is gonna be open.
"We're gonna be open soon I promise, but ya'll can't be bringing this shit to the bike shop. No fighting allowed."
The response I get:
"Naw man, bike shop is like neutral ground man, it's like that country."
"Switzerland?"
"Yeah man, bike shop like Switzerland."
--
inspirational reminder to myself of why this work matters:
a few nights ago I was walking K-dog about 11 o clock or so -- south city has been hopping the past two weeks in both good and bad ways - lots of people out on the streets because of warm weather and spring break, gunshots every night, lots of people on stoops -- the beginning of spring and summer.... -- and all of the sudden I look up and there's about 30 teenagers ready to rumble - total West Side Story style (minus the snapping) - a line of about 15 on one side, a line of about 15 on the other - yelling, cursing, occasionally two breaking out of the group and landing a few punches before joining their respective sides
It's a situation that quite frankly would have terrified me 9 months ago, yet I felt utterly calm. Normally I'd be content to just hang back and make sure no one got really hurt, but J was out front of one side of kids with a brick in his hand and a kid I didn't recognize was out front of the other group of kids with a full-on machete in his hand. I made my way to the middle of them (the dog helped here as everyone backed up) and convinced them that they could fight but they had to put the brick and the knife down. Surprisingly enough, they listened.
So a few more punches get thrown and another kid (a kid who I did /not/ expect to be there as he is one of the most polite bike shop attendees - always yes, sir; thank you, sir; etc) pulls me aside and says "Don't worry E, we're just playing. Don't worry." I tell him that a full on street brawl complete with weapons didn't exactly look like playing to me - then another kid calls him out for talking to me. "Why you talking to him man, who the fuck is he, etc etc" 3 of the kids respond "He works at the bike shop"
Suddenly the fight gets put on hold, literally, and everyone is peppering me with questions about when the bike shop is gonna be open.
"We're gonna be open soon I promise, but ya'll can't be bringing this shit to the bike shop. No fighting allowed."
The response I get:
"Naw man, bike shop is like neutral ground man, it's like that country."
"Switzerland?"
"Yeah man, bike shop like Switzerland."