I was walking down the street going to catch my bus to go to work. I have to walk three blocks to catch my bus and today it was warm and sunny about 71 degrees. I love walking through my hood and talking to my neighbors.
I live in on of the last few houses on my street. The house on the corner of 13th and Bell the Row houses on this street used to be an eye sore but finally someone fixed them and made them decent places to live. The House across the street from me was abandoned for several years. A housing redevelopment company fixed it up and turned it into a farm house. This house recently sold for $80,000 which is high for houses in my community. I walk to the next corner walk pass the bar which is open from 10 am until 2 am. I pause at the field on Robinson and Bell and say a silent prayer for Jamal Holyfield who was shot to death at that spot on July 7, 2009 at the age of 17. There are a lot of places that have become make shift memorials of young and not so young people who have had their lives stolen in homicides. Jamal was set up by some girl and shot several times. Several people were out that night yet no one saw anything or so they say. His case remains unsolved. His mother will never be the same and every year on the anniversary of his death she is consumed with anger at the girl who set him up. All we know is her name is Meecka.
A fist fight breaks out on the second block close to the pizza shop. Two women fighting over money for beer. The kids are in school so at least only adults are around. I see the same women sitting out on the porch every day they are always drinking and fighting loudly. I often wonder if they lived on this street in July of 2009 when Jamal was there and if they saw what happened. No matter what time I walk past their home these same two women are sitting out on their porch or fighting in the street. I feel bad for them because they seem as though they have nothing to do that is productive. I wonder if they have ever held jobs or do they received SSI. I wonder why they don't find something positive to do with their time rather than sit outside and drink all day. I feel sad because these women seem to have no life at all and all welfare even SSI keeps you broke and hungry.
I come to the Hoarder House where they have at least 20 or 30 broken lawn mowers and bikes locked on the iron fences. I remember the husband used to sell these mowers but he died a few years ago and no one has yet to clean up the mess or sell them. They could have taken those to Josh's steel and could have made some money now its just an eye sore. The trees are overgrown and are hanging on the Power lines. I wonder when they are going to cut it before the power line breaks and people lose power.
Finally I reach the end of my journey the playground and park and my bus stop. A shooting had taken place earlier this week a few blocks down on Verona. The oldest son of my friend Desiree was shot inside his house. He survived. Today at the park was three girls and a boy smoking weed and talking about various subjects. I love my neighborhood and my community. I have lived in the same zip code my whole life. Yes I am tired of the violence and watching people I love lose their children or have their child shot. Every day I pray that we can say that Urban Violence is a thing of the past. We are always going to have our problems but we can solve them working with each other like the old days.
