By the way, some of us have talked about what it’s like to grow up in the ‘hood.. where violence, gangs etc were all around.
Interestingly, it was a lot like this now.
Then – life at home is normal, not the normal of middle America, but whatever normal is for us. We cooked, cleaned, played games worked etc.
Today – life at home is normal, not the normal of a few months ago, but whatever normal is for us, now. We cook, clean, play games together, work, etc…
Then – uncertainty all around… a sense that so much was out of our control. If we went to the park, would we find ourselves in the middle of a gang fight? Better to stay at home..
Now – uncertainty all around… a sense that so much is out of our control. If we go to the park, would we find ourselves in the middle of an infection? Better to stay at home..
Then – very few businesses were willing to risk losing money in the neighborhood so they didn’t bother to even put up shop. If you didn’t have a car, (we did), getting to where the malls are was nearly impossible. You looked for what you needed close to home. Places for entertainment (bowling alleys, pizza joints, movie theaters) were always very far away, so we rarely used them, whether we could afford to or not. Better to stay home…
Now – many businesses will begin to close, Some have closed already. Places for entertainment (bowling alleys, pizza joints, movie theaters) are closed or soon will be whether we can afford them or not. Better to stay home…
Then – you did your best to live life, normally, but cautiously aware that life-threatening danger could always be just around the corner.
Now- you do your best to live life, normally, but cautiously aware that life-threatening danger can always be just around the corner.
Then – people you knew, friends, and friends’ relatives died unexpectedly.
Now – well, let’s continue to pray that this does not come.. but the concern, worry, and accompanying stress is there.
Then – we lived life looking at what other people could do via magazines, tv, etc. Families going hiking in beautiful outdoor spaces, lovely houses on tree lined streets, and playgrounds with equipment that worked and was not broken. Schools with outdoor grass, not the cement parking lot we had to play in. And we wondered, what would it be like to be able to do those things?
Today, we live life remembering what we could do before, dance class, concerts, etc.
And we wonder, what would it be like to be able to do those things, again?
The stress, worry, sense that things are out of your control, all those feelings are what people in difficult urban neighborhoods felt all the time. And still do. And then when something like this hits, the feelings that we are experiencing in our situation just pile up atop the already overwhelming stress of ‘normal’ life.
I hope this helps in understanding what it’s like to grow up in the ‘hood, and helps to know how to pray and speak into lives that find themselves in those situations.
We, now, still expect life to eventually return to normal, but what if this is the new normal, for the rest of our lives? With no way out?
That, my dear sisters, is the ‘hood.
Written by Lidia Mika. Shared with Permission.
