40/365 Class

There's a situation on my block that I'm not going to blog about because it would be hard to disguise the characters and it's all based on rumor and supposition at this point anyway. But something was said in passing that sort of slapped me across the face. Essentially, something bad may or may not be coming to pass for one of the families on the block, and another neighbor, upon hearing this, said, "Good."

I know we're not one big happy family here between the sycamores. I know that. There have been conflicts, large and small, throughout the 12 years we've lived here. But most of the conflicts seem to have been either about crime (and therefore, heated) or differences of opinion, like about the parking situation or the condos or whatever. Some of those opinion-based conflicts got VERY heated, in fact there was a time when I contemplated planting a for sale sign in my front yard, I was so ticked off. But somehow, none of that lasts. Crime comes and goes, decisions get made, everyone gets mad at the alderman. We have a mah jongg night or a block party and things start to simmer down.

So this, I mean, it wasn't a big thing, but it was demonstrative of an attitude about living here and who should or shouldn't be allowed to live here. Who should be invited to the parties and who should have stars upon thars kind of thing. I mean, sure, if we had some absentee landlord properties with transient renters who threw dog poop on our cars or something, yeah, that would be one thing. Nuisance properties and nuisance neighbors should be dealt with and when they are, there should be a "whew, glad that's over." But the family in question, the only thing they really have going against them is that they aren't Our Kind of People. It's a class thing--they aren't from a different ethnic or racial group, they didn't move here from some puzzling foreign culture, they don't throw wild crazy parties, they don't throw dog poop on our cars. They're just, pretty obviously, from a lower socioeconomic group than most of the block--and when I say most of the block, I mean most of the block NOW. Many of us come from lowly origins. But we threw out the frosted hair, frosted jeans, frosted lipstick, we scrubbed off the motor oil and keep our fingernails clean. Like my dad said, life always look better out a classroom window than from behind a lathe. But this family doesn't hide it.

And I, for one, could give a rat's ass. They're good neighbors. I know if I needed something, I could knock on their door and they'd help without thinking about it. I've built up layers upon layers of conversations and helpful neighbor moments with them and, frankly, I can talk their language. I am not offended by them because there is nothing offensive about them.

Zelda told me to let it roll off my back. Don't take the neighbor who said that seriously. I'm not going to change her. I guess it just made me realize that when or if this family leaves, my family is the lowest (or very near the lowest) on that totem pole. I mean, come on, we've all seen my house and my tattooed siblings and my grandmother who steals plants from national forests and my laundry line and so forth. Yeah, we have adorably adorable kids, and that will keep us on some lists, but it made me realize I need to get to work on my protective coloration.

Or, do what Zelda said and just say WHATEVER. Move on.