Living in Capone's Hood
Good morning.
Just me. A little dazed from tiredness. This image was taken after responding back to V’s latest post. If nothing else the man makes me think! We’re not so sure about so many thoughts toward dying though. I suppose it is one of those things that allow us to prioritize life. So, in that respect we’ll carry forward in our thinking. Pretty sure though we’re going to get scolded for not thinking proper. *Sigh*
Ok, not going to get bogged down here in my ability to despair. *Double sigh*
Ok, anything new? We went to bed very, very tired … but, that wouldn’t be new new, would it? I think it had something to do with only 3-4 hours sleep the night before. I had woken up and stayed up from 12:30 am on. Makes for a long day though.
Just heard from sweetie pie for a few moments yesterday. We gave him a few lavatious looks. Heheheh Yes, I think I made up that word. Don’t let’s worry about it too much k? Feeling kind of down. Think it has mostly to do with all this anger of late. It’s a draining emotion. Plus, we’re worried about getting behind in our work because we have been focusing on this paper. About 8 pages left now. Tough stuff. We’ll get to it in a little bit. It’s about 3:30 now.
This other part of us is saying … I know, why don’t we just go back to bed … toasty covers, stretched out, easing of the mind??? Pretty sure the paper wouldn’t forward itself on its own. Hmm, maybe if I just got out the material something would come to mind at ease? Suppose I should glance at that outline again. Hold on …
Oh yeah, I remember that now … we were looking up something or another and got back into the neighborhood crime stats. Do you know in the first 10 blocks of leaving the center for home, in the last month and a half … just on the streets I follow there were 23 crimes? They include arson, criminal damage, theft, sex offence against a child, illegal handguns (3 of them), narcotics (cannabis), battery, trespassing, stolen car, and then all those multiplied by so many times as to get up to 23. This I repeat was just on our block and the 10 blocks getting out of the “hood.” Made me kind of depressed. Did all this happen on your blocks this month? I asked our assistant since she’d gone to high school in the neighborhood if she knew any of the gangs. She named of about 7 of them. It’s funny though … you never really see it. Just go on about our business most the time as if it weren’t there. I saw a few web pages about the local gangs. It included information about Al Capone being in the neighborhood.
Never really associated gangs with gangsters. But, I guess it really is the same thing. Read a couple of articles going back to 1909. They’ve been around for a long time. I read a statistic yesterday stating that our neighborhood at work is 60% African American and 36% Hispanic/Latino Americans. It used to be White immigrants. The median income for this neighborhood at work is $24,000. I’m not really sure where the poverty line is but I’m pretty sure that is $2,000 a month for a family BEFORE taxes. The couple of blocks we’re surrounding us are Hispanic. BUT, it seems to be the White people that really started the gangs. They were a defense to keep the “negroes” out of the neighborhood. And, they were formed through the leadership of the sports teams. You know typical buddies down on the corner playing kick the can. They talked about the race wars of 1919. Shoot, this stuff has been going on for ever!
Ahh V’s up… AHA! V sent us back to bed!
This is our new and improved self … we’re not going to rethink that crime problem. Hmm, not sure … this is what we wrote at V’s place today …
“To be a human being means to receive conscious knowledge of death AND life, which can both be primitively frightening. Defenses are weak attempts to alter or channel the energy gained from the emotions, such as anxiety; which could have aided us to have grown toward a more fruitful being. This regression is thought to be mental illness, which can be likened toward busying the energy through a disguise of the present, which disallows free choice; or, we can ascend toward creativeness, which is heroic because present time and energy is made valid; catharsis . The struggle to go forward and not regress (hide behind defenses) is what allows us to leave a more fruitful trace of our essence, though in either case the physical mortal body will die freeing the soul from our human emotionality, thought, and free will, which had allowed us our determinism” (Garvey, 2006).
Keeping all this in mind … I should be aware of what is happening in the area. But, to obsess in it would be in ruining the likelihood, I would get anything good done! Eh, so we’re just going to put it over here Aware, but not consumed.
Hmm, we had a little of this problem we needed to take care of … He’s better now . This usually happens, we figure, after a nap … it’s like he is saying … let’s go back for some more good sleepin! Good kitty helps with perspective too!We’re going to take a short break here in a couple of minutes … Sweetie pie let us know we should call him. His daughter is home now, so we’ll be able to check out that story! Don’t think we’re going to say anything prophetic over the next few minutes. La de la de da de dummmm …
Hehehe he’s putting seat belt on!
Damn this is us trying to listen to our friend tell us the crime isn’t so bad.
Eh … smooching over the phone is better! Umm, BRB need shower!
Ok, ok Next, next … probably should put shoes on too? Good, good .. that’s done … think that’s most of the hard stuff today. Should get easier from this point out? Spose the next thing would be to post and get to work. Uh huh, we can do this … you can do this too! Be safe!
posted by Ann Marie @ 3/29/2006 06:46:00 AM
Comments: 4
