Personally, I hate the 'hood.I hate the transference of the prison mentality of gaining respect at all costs.
I hate the mentality of being in a constant state of victimisation.
I hate the smell of sweat and crack and mold and urine that is so thick that I can almost taste it.
I hate that the idea of someone (or some group) making their neighborhood, schools and environment a better place is seen as something impossible.
I hate that many believe that doing better in school is seen as acting "other".
But what I hate most is that the 'hood is still The 'Hood.
I'm going through all of my early month routine of dealing with my tenants.
Maybe, as in the case with many law enforcement officers, I'm beginning to lump all individuals in the same group.
Maybe I've become too jaded to be of any good.
I recently bought some kid a weeks worth of groceries.
It seems that his mother thought that it was more important for her to get her nails and hair done.
Buy new clothes.
And hit the club.
All while this kid had nothing in the house to eat.
He called one of my cousins, asking if he could come over for dinner.
My cousin asked if we could go to Mc Donald's to get his friend something from the dollar menu.
Instead, I went to the local grocer and bought enough food to last him a week.
But while the kid was at his grandmother's house for the weekend, his mother ate everything I'd bought for the kid.
WTF?
Why do some people view any level of assistance as another asset to maintain their current lifestyle?
I had a vacant home.
Being winter, I let a guy stay in the house - rent free.
Yesterday, a social worker came to my house demanding that I make the unit more tenable.
Huh?
The guy isn't a tenant.
He just wanted to come in from the cold.
But since the guy had utilities turned on, I have to be responsible for his comfort?
And since he has been there for two months, he is now considered a tenant?
I'm sick of trying to help people.
I had a bunch of stuff on my mind from this past week.
But the only conclusion I've come to is that; maybe the 'hood problem can only be solved by someone who is still in the 'hood.
Maybe all the well intentioned ideas, programs, and deeds of others are only prolonging the problem.
More than likely, I'll be back.
But today, I'm hatin' the 'hood.
If the parents are irresponsible the kids are the vicitms so somehow we have to reach the kids because an adult can get help if they want it. The winter tenant is just a hazard of owning places for rent it's bound to happen whether it be a social worker or some neighbor snitching on you things are bound to happen.
ReplyDeleteHang in there because all the first hand knowledge you are gaining by fire will help someone else. I always hope you end up writing a book about giving back and detail what seemed to work. Some of us will never be at eye level with their giving back so it's very valuable to know someone who has tried and knows what will actually help practically and not theoretically.
Like Freeman said.
ReplyDeleteAlso, "...be not weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not"
Tell that renter to start paying rent or get out.
Keep feeding children.
You'll reach someone. Just don't faint.
There are reasons people try to get out of the hood. Mtv is the only thing trying to get INTO the hood.
ReplyDeleteIf not you then who? with no help, then what?
It's really rotten that kids are going hungry because their mothers are more interested in getting their hair done. I'm glad that your cousin knew that if he reached out to you, you would do something about it.
ReplyDeleteYour goal was to get the boy something to eat, but your action taught two boys what a man does. These two boys will be men one day, and they will remember what you did. That's so much more important than what was in those grocery bags.
And maybe having a little food in the house will light a fire in the mother too. You never know.
You let someone stay rent free??? Wow.......
ReplyDelete