Life

Good Morning, today I wanted to stray away from my usual subject matter and write from within.

This weekend I traveled back to Memphis, TN. where I have spent a few years of my adult life. Upon my return the first thing I noticed, like anyone who returns after a time away, was the change in living patterns. The area I used to live in which is called Hickory Hill has been swallowed up by the city. Lets go back in time shall we. When I moved to memphis in 99 Hickory Hill had just been annexed into the city. The area was quiet and clean. Then by 2001 the cities plan kicked in and gentrification started to take place. The nice quiet little area that I lived in started to be over-run with Section 8 assisted families. Now this should not identify a person but in many cases it does. As I was saying the nice clean, quiet community that I resided in had been transformed into a project for lack of a better word.
I can still remember the day I walked out of my apartment and went down stairs and saw the crayon writing on the walls as I stepped over some little girls panties laying on the ground. I got to my car and noticed a large volume of trash laying in the spot next to my car, as if someone cleaned out there car and left it there. This was the beginning of the end. The night before I moved, out of what was once my very nice 3 bedroom apartment in a scenic woodland area, my car was broken into and several personal items where stolen. This hurt me because I knew why this had happened, and the truth is more painful than the loss.
The truth of the matter is there had been an influx of my people into the area, where as before I lived in a predominately white neighborhood. For some reason my people are unable to separate themselves from their stereotypes. Why is it if I move a low income family into a nice area they have to make it resemble what they are used to instead of trying to assimilate into a better way of life?
Enough of that as I was saying I noticed the change the area has grown and a lot of shopping areas and mini-malls have popped up everywhere, where before there was nothing but trees now there are stores and houses. Growth is always a good thing. It means that an area is thriving and becoming prosperous.

However the thing that struck me the most are the people that I have left behind. The lives that I have touched and the lives that have touched me. This was my first trip back to Memphis in over 2 years. The feelings and the love that I felt from those people close to me made it seem as if I was just there yesterday. The love of my young brother Mo, (you know who you are) to the wisdom of Ben, (I love you like a father), and the crazy antics of Leon, (Me in about 15 or 20 years), the strength of my older :-) brother carrol and my once upon a time sidekick Louis. They all made me feel right at home. I realized through this trip that I was wrong in my opinions of Memphis. When I left there I used to say that my spirit was asleep. In fact I now know that my spirit was wide awake and taking in things that at the time I lacked the knowledge and wisdom to translate. I just want all of those people who I affectionately call my Memphis Family to know that I am always here for you all. But homecomings aren't all good there is pain in life as well, and driving by the house wherein my Earth once resided brought back the pain of love lost and actually made me appreciate even more the love that I now have.

Well now that I got the sentimental stuff out of the way I can get back to the usual business of pointing fingers and stirring up thoughts. Until then I wish you all well.

Peace.