Category: Amy L
-
Smidgen of hope
The drug dealers around the corner work long hours, rain, snow or shine. Sometimes they purposely look away when I walk by. Sometimes they say hello/hi/good morning or “Do you have a light, ma’am?”, to which I respond, “No! I don’t smoke. And you shouldn’t either!”. Sometimes they look like hardened criminals with their lower…
-
Dog sitting vignettes
One of my favourite things about living in North Philly is the constant exchange of cultures. I love when friends from other neighbourhoods visit so I can watch their reactions to a foreign environment. Moreover, I enjoy watching my neighbours’ reactions to my non-North Philly friends/visitors. There was a point last year when I was probably unhealthily…
-
Health Education Inside and Outside Philly Schools
My neighbours, McHale (15) and Yahsair (13) came over the other evening. The three of us ate yogurt with granola for dinner. M: Yahsair, you’re gonna like this. It says organic yogurt. And organic granola. Y: This is delicious. Is granola always like this? Me: No, this is the sugary kind. That’s why y’all like…
-
Only as an urban resident – Ep. 1
A prequel: Episode 1 – Lil’ Annikin Shihiem is the third out of 10 living children born to his mother. Mom started having kids at age 16. Daddies took turns fathering children while taking turns in and out of jail. At age 4, Shihiem set the curtains on fire. The firefighters came and found him…
-
Maybe I should have taken grappling lessons
The other day, I texted a friend, “Today my assistant put a kid in a headlock while his grandmother straddled him so that I could remove his tooth. Horrible experience!” She responded, “Headlock and straddling? Taken out of context, I’m pretty sure I could have you all arrested.” Lawyer friends are the best! Alas, not all…
-
Only as an urban resident – Ep. 8
An epilogue of some sorts: Shihiem does not come to my house anymore. After my neighbours told him whatever they told him to get him to leave my porch, they have spotted him twice pacing around the block and teaching little kids how to punch and kick each other. He showed up at work for…