Simply Human

Each day I live I learn more about myself, my flaws both good and bad. It’s the end of a semester and it is finals time, and a transition into the summer. I am taken back by my conversations with friends of things that are happening shortly after school is over. There is a lot happening in a short while in my life and in the lives of many of my friends and colleagues.

I am oddly aware of a tension, and anxiety that is rising within me to finish school well. However, this thought is hard for me to accomplish at the moment just because there are many other things that I would like to be doing or planning. It is almost as if I have to put everything on hold so that I can get my brain to concentrate on the things I need to focus on with school.

It’s really hard when I just want to be able to take a couple of days and hang out with the kids in the neighborhood, or hang out with a neighbor and let them use my computer to fill out an employment application online. I will get to do this soon, my finals have deadlines hopefully I won’t fail anything.

It’s hard to not feel like a failure when my grades aren’t the best thing in the world. I guess I’m just not an academic research type of student. I’ll be a black sheep.

Response to 3 killings in the neighborhood

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/two_men_shot_this_afternoon_ne.html

Do we really care? I love, actually I get pretty disgusted by the "Yes We Care" because we only really care to the point at which it begins to infringe on our personal lives.

Pastor Keen - "6 months of peace" That is the most ridiculous statement to reflect Central City. I know that in February during Mardi-Gras season a corner store owners brother was shot and killed.

http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl021509cbshooting.1cb411eb.html

The people that lead many of these Rallies/Marches are ineffective and are wasting time and money. They are trying to put band-aids on problems that need surgery and suchers. These "leaders" also are very disconnected from the true community, and problems within the neighborhood.

The city is plastered with Ghandi's statement of "Be the change you wish to seek." But we barely take any steps toward that. If we seek to "be change" we cannot live in places in which we are not seen. The community needs to learn how to take care of one another, and how to love one another. That is hardly represented at night time where it is needed the most. We do not place lights under a basket! If we truly want to see illumination to Central City, you have to be a light within it, not in a nice suburb or outside the city. So non-profits, and other leaders please come to learn your neighborhood in a different way.

I am a proud resident and homeowner in between the 2 blocks where everything throws down. I have lovely neighbors that watch out for me and my house. We enjoy sharing meals, and discussing our frustrations. I love to learn their needs, and love to think creatively on how to fill in the gaps to them receiving the hand-up that they need and not just a hand-out. I don't like the crime, drugs, and blatant disrespect. If a place like this can foster it gives me hope to help 3rd and 4th world countries with similar problems but no resources.

We need to quit being so selfish over our selves and give up some comfort so that others can live.



This was another response to another user

They do not know how to take advantage of opportunity. There are many people and non-profits that try to help out and offer assistance out here all the time.

The problem is trust, and relationships. And the fact that they have to be "grown" or often responsible like adults by the time they are 12-14. Would you trust anyone when you grown up in a very broken home in which your momma, would take your last $5.

These kids and adults have grown up and lived in odd unorthodox environments where there is inconsistency all over the place. This compounds their trust issues. If one has trust issues, and larger life problems they have no clue how to take advantage of opportunity, and they often don't have some one to coach them.

This type of person also does not often carry the confidence, and self esteem because they have been told that they are "bad" for much of their lives.

The problem of excessive drinking and smoking is also a larger problem here. As long as Alcohol is abused in the city at the scale that it is the problems in the hood will probably continue to stay. The Alcohol culture socially promotes, and creates social peer pressure and encouragement. Many of these families are broken because they cannot kick an addiction, in order to pay their bills and take care of their family.

Many of the drug dealers in the hood are also almost forced to sell. Think about it. If you are a business owner would you hire someone that was a convicted felon? Someone that needs mentorship and is inconsistent? NO! What do you do if you cannot land jobs and have no community support from within?
Mexicans, Vietnamese, are a lot tighter knit to each other and have a totally different sense of community and corporate responsibility. Hood life is different, and a culture that many have no clue about.

For anyone that is native this is the Big Easy... So the culture here is all about doing as little for the most gain. There is not an idealism of purely enjoying work, toil, and knowledge in and of its self. For Mexicans,Vietnamese, Arabs, their culture and mentality is in a very different mindset.

Hood culture-
It is sad that there is a misconception of what it is to be a Man in the hood. For most, it is being "Hard." Tough, nothing effects you, a girl doesnt mean anything, if someone disrespects you set them straight, if someone seems smarter or is competition you take them out because they are a threat to how you are viewed as being on "Top." I work with at risk youth in Job Training for Environmental Science. I push their brains really hard often. I get cussed at and get threats, only because i challenge them and push them to work hard. The saddest part of the whole thing is that many dont have the confidence, and are too afraid to make mistakes. It is hard for them to be different, make mistakes, and just try. The non-profit and kind hearted people often dont allow them room to make mistakes either.

We as caring people want to give, but that is the wrong approach. We have to learn how to receive. We must begin to learn how to restore dignity by allowing and creating empowerment and opportunities for them to give. This is not an easy thing, and is no band aid. It is also not something that can be started from the outside, it must start from inside the community. So if you want to help solve the problem don't just give, figure out how you can receive