Too Close for Comfort

I sat down with the intention of keeping a promise to MommaWheel by recalling a very funny conversation between Kyle and I, but then I turned on the Television and what was so frigging funny turned so serious, so unfunny.

I've lived in Philadelphia for my entire life (with the exception of college), and I've never been afraid of city life.

As a child I didn't have the restrictions of staying on the block or being back before the street lights came on... I was a kid, all I worried about was getting my play on... When I was 12 and my grandma put me on the #10 trolley in West Philly with instructions to get on the #65 bus, and then the K to Germantown I wasn't scared. I knew people (even strangers) were looking out for me. I was allowed to travel from Broad & Olney to Center City alone to go to the Christian Street YMCA and swim (more like play in the water) with my cousins... I wasn't afraid of getting robbed or shot.

Philly was always a fun and safe place for me. It wast until 1988 that I heard about crime... someone on my block had their car broken into, but no one died, no cop was shot, no babies were raped or killed.

When we bought our home in Olney over 6 years ago we chose Olney because of its diversity. Blacks, Whites, Asians and Spanish all lived on the same blocked. The streets were clean, lawns trimmed, and faces smiled. We were confident that Olney was not only a wonderful community to live in, but to also start and raise a family. Were we wrong???

Fast forward to 2008... Olney is now that place you hear about on the news every evening.

POLICEMAN RESPONDING TO ROBBERY...DUNKIN' DONUTS AT 66TH AND BROAD STREET... KILLED.... FUGITIVE AT LARGE....

POLICEMAN RESPONDING TO ROBBERY AT BROAD AND OLNEY.... SHOT DEAD... GUNMAN SHOT ONCE IN THE CHEST...STABLE CONDITION AT EINSTEIN HOSPITAL...

BUSINESS OWNER KILLED IN ROBBERY... SHOT DEAD AS HE CLOSED HIS DRY CLEANER AT LOCATED ON THE 400 BLOCK OF CHEW AVENUE... GUNMAN STILL AT LARGE...

What the Hell is going on??? And Why is it happening in my backyard? For the past year or so I've seen way too many police helicopters circle my neighborhood with the search lights on. I keep hearing sirens... police... ambulance... SWAT...

We're on high alert here. We used to never lock our windows and doors and now were going behind one another locking and re-locking, putting chairs to the door...IT'S RIDICULOUS... IT'S SICKENING...

So I sit here, wondering just where this neigborhood is going... How much longer until there are more guns at play than children? how long until drug dealers take over?? How long? Where are the community leaders? The protestors? The church leaders? the citizens? Am I the only one outraged? I can't take anymore... No one should live in fear!