barb dwyer

... literally.

When I moved to this apartment a little over a year ago, this building was half inhabited by addicts still using.
I posted several terrifying incidents before they finally moved out.

This entire street -
two years ago - was pretty juch 'crack street'.
Drunks, addicts, and crime.

Two years later,
and a good bit of 'urban renewal'
*g*
Almost every resident on this street
is in a program of recovery.

How miraculous is that?

Everyone except one last hold out house -
(and I'm told by my landlord that HER landlord has stated that her days are numbered...)
is clean and sober.
involved in recovery
either in the Fellowship, or in NA, or a health care worker,
even an officer at the pre release program....

how the Power that is Greater than Ourselves...
puts us where we need to be.

amazing.

:chatter

Sorry -
but when I realized this -
I was amazed.
We really DO affect the world around us.
And we attract .... what we attract.

barb dwyer

I think what I'm trying to say is ...
I live in a 'community'.

We all know our neighbors.
We all have a common connection.
We watch out for each other.
We know when someone is gone for the weekend.
We watch people coming and going ...
and get involved when something out of place happens.

JUST THE OTHER DAY -
I leaned out my back porch window and was having a 'discussion with the people across the back alley - who were on their second story deck -
my neighbor came out - and joined in from HER deck ... the neighbor up one house from her came out - and before you knew it -
there were five of us just leaning on the back porch rails having a 'chat' ... the whole neighborhood.

Just tossing jokes and snappy comebacks ... but it was so ... I dunno... unique as well.

I'm so glad that this still exists somewhere in the world.
And I'm happy that I'm included.

serenityqueen

That's awesome!

My street and apt. building however is pretty much the opposite.

I'm the "outcast" in the building.

I'm the only one who isn't outside drinking, smoking blunts and raising hell nearly every night.

I think only one other inhabitant of this building even works . . . and that's at a bar that's a weekly feature on the news for shootings/fights.

Now I got Clean & Sober in this apt., and few of the current leaches who live here know that I used to use. I've heard the comments when I come home and they're outside getting trashed about how I wouldn't know a good time if it bit me in the butt.

Funny . . . if they only knew what a good time really is . . . my life today!

CarolD

Recovery Road sounds super Barb...

I'm real happy to be in my old poor folks community.
Dallas now has over 8,000 citizens
and more than 1 stop light!

I'm so glad to see you doing well
and hope the laptop deal works out.

Come share when you can ...

CarolD

Dang Judy....
That sounds dangerous
Keep safe and I'd be looking to move.

barb dwyer

Carol -

I can't imagine a Dallas big enough for two lights.
It was just a wide spot in the road with a couple of Civil War 'point of interest' signs.

Serenity -
Did I ever tell you my mothers side of the family is from Dayton/Fairburn OH?
WOuldn't it be a HOOT if we were related?

serenityqueen

Carol, I don't feel the least bit in danger here. My landlords are fantastic people who have bought a building that was vacant for several years, invested a great deal of blood, sweat and tears to turn this building into a beautiful, safe place for people wth a lower than average income. It is a security building and the landlords won't put up with any trouble, but what people do outside the building isn't anything they can control.

In todays world, it seems like no matter where you turn anymore, drugs and alcohol are nearly everywhere. . . therefore, I can't run away for the rest of my life.

Barb, we need to talk, that would be wild if we were related or that I may even know some of your family! It's a small world. lol

Thanks for caring,
Judy

tiburon88

Crack street huh? Reminds me of my North side Chicago neighborhood. There's a block where the police let the locals drink openly in the street.


tib

barb dwyer

tib - I learned back in the early 90's ...
from an occurrence we had in LA ...
there's places in every city where even cops won't go.
It's jsut too dangerous.

That's the point, I guess.

Not that lil' ol' butrte is anything like N'Hollywierd ...
thank GOD ...
but we do MAKE A DIFFERENCE.