Life in the Hood

So funny story...aren't they all...?
I love living in the downtown area of Buffalo; I'm not sure we are a city anymore, feel free to correct me, but 'urban sprawl' has certainly taken its toll. 

I had a conversation with my friend Deb today about her trip downtown last December 31st for FirstNight (A.K.A. 'the city', for my suburban natives who shudder at the thought of driving past the 90 exit on 33 heading WEST).  She made mention of the fact that as they left Main Street, she took her boys on a trip through some of the less popular areas of the city. Boys being boys they noticed everything..."Hey, Mom! That man is peeing on the side of that building." "MOM! That man is KISSING a woman, and THAT woman is kissing another woman!" It was, after all, New Year's Eve.

Her response was,
    
   "Close your eyes and pretend you're asleep."

As residents of downtown their entire lives, my daughters see things a bit differently. On a walk past the 'Old Pink' on a beautiful, quiet September afternoon, my nine-year-old was heard to disclaim,

     "Oh, Mom, it's another one (another man peeing on the side of the building, they don't take notice
      of who kisses whom; they only marvel at why you would kiss anyone that way). "
     "Time to cross the street."

Now before you take a swipe at me for exposing my daughters to public expressions of affection or men peeing on the side of the Old Pink, stop and think about what we wish our children to celebrate in life...appreciating differences.  I could give a rat's ass about the fact that a man is peeing in public, my greater concern is that he has nowhere else to pee...maybe, maybe not. But teaching our children to question, and teaching them tolerance and to embrace diversity is what it is all about.

And, shout out to Deb-she chose that route out of the city. She didn't happen on it by accident.