I am 33 years old.  And I have made a mess out of my life.  No really.  I would think a person would have to Try to screw things up as much as I have.  I am trying to do better.  At the moment I am saving every penny I can so that maybe someday I can move out of the Ghetto.

I live in the Ghetto.  Did I mention that?  Yes, well it's true.  Now it wasn't the ghetto when I moved in.  I grew up in this neighborhood.  I had family all around the block, and the people I wasn't blood related to- well I had known them my entire life- so it was like they were family.  They have all since moved away or passed away.

Most of the people on my block have only been here a year or two.  They are different.  They have several cars- not all of them running naturally.  It is always good to keep a junker in your front yard for spare parts.  They rent their houses, they rent their furnature. 

Now don't take me wrong.  It isn't that I think I am better than they are.  I am just different.  One night I was awakened by my next door neighbor yelling at her husband.  "No Johnny please don't set it on fire!"  Not something you hear every day.  It was blue balls cold outside- and "it" was her coat.  Her honey decided it would be a good idea to take her coat out on their front lawn and set it ablaze. 

Another cold winter morning I noticed another neighbor standing in his back yard in the cold driving rain.  He was wearing boxers and boots- And he had a Pickaxe.

I go to my car to leave for work and there is a woman standing in the street in front of my house.  She is bone skinny and stoned out of her mind- And Sniffing a bag of Cheetos.  Yeah- that's nice.

I had a neighbor that had 7 dogs in their back yard.  7 can you imagine.  We live in a neighborhood with very small yards.  We are all pretty much on top of one another and they had 7 dogs they could not afford to feed- so they brought them out a discount loaf of bread from the dollar store every day.  And they fought over the bread- well like starving dogs.

As of late it has actually gotten worse if you can imagine.  I had a neighborhood teenager decide it would be funny to scratch my car.  I watched her do it- then in a fit of passion chased her stupid ass down the street.  I called the cops on her & made her parents give me money.  Even though to be fair- my little car is just a few steps away from being one of those spare part junkers. 

I had another battle with another neighbor.  Those people are packed into that little house like a group of white trash refugees.  They have 6-7 cars parked in front of their house at all times.  Not all running- but parked there.  One of them comes home drunk every night and well, let's just say he is a bad driver sober- so drunk- well it ain't pretty.

He parked basically on top of the garbage I had set out for the trash men.  He parked on my front steps one night.  So, I told him he couldn't park there anymore.  He got mad yelled at me in the street.  I held my ground.  No emotion- no yelling- no parking in front of my house...conversation is over. 

He doesn't park there anymore.  Actually, there is only one car parked there now- a junker.  I think maybe they are in the process of being evicted.  Can't wait to see what slithers into that house next. 

I need to move.  I do.  I don't belong here.  It isn't that I am better than these people- but I am different.   So, I am on a quest.  I am saving money like mad to try and get out of here.  I have a house picked out- but it is so far out of my price range it isn't even funny. 

I am afraid I am going to die in this place.  I have been trying to escape it for 5 years now, but bad things keep happening....which in turn drains my savings- and I get to start all over.  It is almost like God is keeping me here for punishment.  The idea that I might be able to get parole for good behavior...seems doubtful, but that is another story.