Moving On

I've been back in the Washington, D.C. area since April 2007. When I was searching for a new condo, I was planning to move to either Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Crystal City) and Montgomery County (Bethesda, Silver Spring). Growing up in Prince George's County, I was familiar with the area but knew that I didn't want to move even remotely close to the city where I grew up. It's a nice community, or at least it was, for families but isn't really a place for young, single people.

So after looking for a while, I ended up buying a place in Prince George's County after all.  It was cool at first until I realized there is no diversity whatsoever.  I've always lived places where there was a mix of people. The closest I came to living around all Brown people was when I lived in NY, but the brown faces consisted of Af-Ams, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and other Hispanics.  Don't get me wrong, I love my people (sometimes :-)) but the area where I live now leaves much to be desired.

The people are rude. I'd see my next door neighbor and she wouldn't speak. Me being the person I am, I like to kill 'em with kindness, so I'd go out of my way to speak, it took months to finally get a half smile from her. Is it really that big of a deal to speak to your next door neighbor? Since then she's moved and the man who owns the condo next to mine has had a string of horrible tenants who seem to be used to living more in Section 8 housing than in a normal condo.  They have no respect when it comes to playing their music, even had one who used to play a conga drum at night. They'd fight and yell in the hallway.  When someone comes to pick them up, instead of walking to the door they'd honk the horn all times of night.  I'd never have peace in my own home.  Fortunately, they leave and it's gotten a little better.  I've never lived in the projects but I could imagine this was what it would be like.

Every time I go to the trash I end up picking up litter because people drop all types of garbage on the ground and don't even have the decency to pick it up. I'm not used to people not taking ownership of where they live, even if they are renters. When I did live in apartments (with more diverse neighbors), I never saw people who had such a blatant disregard for where they lived.  My condo association sends out monthly newsletters but I'm sure the people who are the culprits don't even read them.

They are disrespectful. As I sat in the waiting room of my local NTB, a young couple came in with a little boy who couldn't have been more than 18 months old. The father was talking loud and using every expletive he could think of and half the time he said these things while holding the baby. It got to a point where I got up, shot him a look and sat back down.  I'm nobody's Mother but I've learned from the best of them how to give someone a piercing look to make them be quiet.

I don't know if these people just don't care or if it's because no one’s told them what's inappropriate from what's not. The waiting from was full of older people who just sat there and didn't say a word.  Any one of them could have asked the guy to watch his mouth but they just sat there oblivious to it all and didn't open their mouths.

Every time I take the Metro, which isn't that often, I dread sitting near any teenagers. Those kids, who 95% of the time are Black, get on and start acting a fool. They curse, use vulgar language and have no consideration for those who are subjected to hearing them.  They'll curse in front of someone who could be their Grandmother and don't even care. It makes me sick and I'm tired of it.

Next fall, I'm determined to rent out my place and move. I'm not sure where yet but we'll see. I can't take being in an environment where people have no concern for anyone but themselves. People like that are dangerous.  My days in Prince George's County are coming to an end.