| |
| Writings Discussion Authors Help Search Home |
Where I Am From By: Rachelle King on 2/11/2003; 4:50 PM This is an assignment for my Lit. class. What do you all think? Where am I from? In high school, when my church group found out, they jokingly vowed to pray for me. That porcelain eyed girl, you know the one, with low hip huggers, spaghetti string tee, and three inch high flip flops, asks me "how do you like get home from school every day?" When I told her I walked down Highland Avenue, she and her gang of cheerleaders gasped, "Do you have to like carry a knife or something?" People always seem to cringe when I tell them where I am from. They offer some typical euphemism: Nacho City, The Mile of Tacos, Sweatwater. They see me, sideshow freak, and remark on how great it is that I am still in school. I tell them most of my friends are actually still in school. They seem unimpressed and reply, "Oh, that's good. Good for them." The newspapers have forgotten that we enjoy reading, where I am from. Our children are mitigated into a two-paragraph "Crime Watch" report as if they game out of the womb with a gun. I don't think it lessons our hope, though. You see, the front page of the "Currents" section reminded us that you can get shot in any school and parents can ignore their children in any neighborhood. Often the melodies of where I am from pulsate through my block. From the place of the beat's origin they celebrate a daughter's coming of age. They are loosening on the makeshift dance floor what earlier the church had constricted. I have heard the most controversial ideologies and meant the poet laureates of a subdued generation in my streets. These barbed tongues know how to measure the degree of beneficial outcome between a Ballpark and a Library. Yes, some are employed at various fast food Nation restaurants. Others lead those marches from Chicano Park demanding fair rental rates and money for education not war. We know oppression and poetry where I am from.
RE: Where I Am From By: R.A.B. on 2/14/2003; 7:14 AM Cool, I know of some places like this. It's not that pleasant to live in such places but there are still invaluable values that we could get from living in these kind of hoods...um...well...like how to kill a guy cleanly and efficiently like chopping the head, hand and feet off after you kill 'em so that nobody could I.D. them...nah just joking! We could learn how to be emotionaly tough and reliable. Still, it is better to move ,nobody wants to live in a hellhole, right? Although, sometimes, when we're already accustomed to the atmosphere and our lives center there and many of our friends and families are there, even the most dangerous of places can be gladly called home.
RE: Where I Am From By: Rachelle King on 2/15/2003; 12:27 PM Ah, but see this is the point of the piece. It is a critique of perspective. People always asume such places are a "hellhole, " and that random acts of violence spring from solid brick walls. I have lived in this such place for 14 years and have yet to even witness a crime, well, with maybe the exception of some guy sticking a whole 2ltr of soda down his really really really baggy pants. I just laughed and walked away because I seriously thought, "What a friggin shmuck! The store camera is right above you!" Then again, he did not seem to be too cognitive of anything around him. I actually do not intend to move, because in my opinion that would be turning my back on the community that reared me.
RE: Where I Am From By: R.A.B. on 2/15/2003; 8:59 PM Well, two law enforcers where shot last year just a couple of blocks away from where I lived and all of a sudden people were afraid to come to our place, so I know what you mean. Although, a friend of mine had a different experience, a man was shot right in front of their house and one time he went out late with us and he had trouble going home 'cause we kept on teasing him that the man that was shot in front of his house was going to haunt the place and he would it's first victim. He shook it off though in the end but still, you don't know if a person believes in that stuff or not.Well anyway, other than those nothing really happens that much around here. Most of the stories that spring around in such places like ours are purely exggerations, people who tell stories like these really like using hyperbole even though it's not necessary. But still sometimes it can be true.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Contact | |
 |
|