“A whole other world” is what I felt when I Residing right on University Ave. walked down University Ave. right off College Ave. Rolando and La Mesa being the 2 communities that border the block of my neighborhood where the day time hustle and bustle of a big city is a definite. The buses run every 15 minutes so, if one is not use to the rumble at these times things can be a little unsettling. Well those were my feelings back in the spring of 2005. I first moved here to this neighborhood fresh from the penitentiary, all that noise took a bit getting use too into. I even lost my sense of direction when I would walk out onto University Ave to catch the bus down town and would end up in La Mesa. I experienced major environmental shock during my first few months here. The day time wasn’t as trying as the night time. I would have a hard time going out in public. Across from my house were businesses such as car lots and mechanics shops. When leaving my house I would feel the leering of the males who didn’t have enough work to keep their eyes from prying on the new chick on the block. As mentioned before, I was just paroled from V.S.P.W., Valley State Prison for Women. So having been accustomed to life on the street, I kept to myself and didn’t respond to the cat calls from the overly friendly day workers on the block. Having an Adult Book store also accompanied the lone males looking for whatever one would be game for. When coming from the liquor store or grocery store I would be approached by a few guys always wanting to talk and then go have sex anywhere convenient. I found them amusing most of the time. When they would actually speak always starting with a compliment I would try to keep a good distance then they would drop the bomb! All creeps but then I have a little bit of a warped sense of humor. Always the same Hi want to have sex or can I see your body without clothing not necessarily in that order but always ending in the question of some type of sexual request. You’d think I lived on El Cajon blvd.! Ha!! If that was my business I could have made some profit. But at that time peddling drugs was more my line of work. Sometimes I made a customer for my wares, but disliked the personalities that came from the sex scene. Just the feeling of being undressed or observed as only for sexual pleasure was a feeling I found unpleasant and didn’t care to associate with these guys at all.
So the day scene in my life at that time was heading me back to the penitentiary. The night hours, unless I was a hooker, I wouldn’t leave my home unless transportation was provided or I was accompanied by another person. Night hours definitely were hopping on my block. The medical marijuana store had customers constantly. And of course the adult book store brought out the most at the evening hours. Just walking a few feet from my yard I’d get a car or two with a sexual proposition accompanying its passing. At least once a week we’d have police helicopters overhead, the Am/Pm on the corner was packed during the p.m. hours002E Always the difference of people is amazing. The Upper echelon of society usually stayed off of the ave. more passed the blvd. to do their p.m. shopping or what not. I ended going back up to the pen. I left the drug scene when I came back two years ago, I don’t associate with the degenerates if one would find a reference to my world on my block in 2005. I find my neighborhood safe. Still I don’t leave my doors open do to one instance of a female entering my house one day totally out of her sorts to put her demeanor in description. With my doors locked. I know my neighbors, who are an assortment of nationalities, they know who I am and of my past and let it stays there. With two dogs next door, I very much doubt if there’ll be anybody entering from that direction.
Sometimes I’ll walk up hill into the Rolando area; not too much traffic and all seems pretty normal. But reflecting on my past I must question what is normal in my neighborhood.