The Real Neighbors of Upland

"Modern Mash-Up," my latest quilt top

I have been trying to sew most days but life hasn't been as cooperative as it could be.  I mean...

Drama to the right of me...drama to the left of me...into the valley of drama goes Dori and her pup.

Apartment living is more interesting than watching television.  I think when we live in a house surrounded by lawns and fences that we get into our own lives so deeply that we sometimes forgetting there are others out there living their own lives.  Can't do that if you live in an apartment.  Nope, they are living their lives right outside your front door.  Yeppers, these are the real neighbors of Upland.

Sunday was not a day of rest.  My neighbor upstairs came knocking at my door early...just a bit before 7 am.  He was in terrible shape and shaking.  I knew he had been ill as his mother had been coming over to help him for the past week.  He said he lost his phone somewhere in his house and would I please come up and call it so he can find it? And thus began a full day of the kid knocking at my door, wanting to use my phone to call his mom.  Her answering once and then not again as his language became more and more abusive.  It took me a while but I realized he was drunk.  I'm sometimes slow at the uptake.  I set boundaries--he had none--and stopped listening to his ramblings of poor him, no one cared, he was going to die.  Each time after that first day I would tell him I cared very much but he was not coming into my house  until he stopped drinking. He was welcome any other time, not in this state.

This continued Monday and Tuesday.  The guy was drinking, had been for over a week with no food.  Just beer.  Unfortunately there is a liquor store across the street.  He walked there multiple times a day.  Multiple times the police came, the EMTs came, the ambulance came...he always returned later the same day.  He was like the Energizer Bunny.

Last night he went off to rehab.  Suitcase and radio and all.  His parents had worked hard to find the right place and were able to bypass the waitlist because it was an emergency.  This kid was not going to be alive in a few days if he didn't get some help.

Saddest thing...saddest thing.  Sweet kid.  Sweet manipulative abusive alcoholic kid.  I wish him well.

Drama is all around us but we often don't see it because we are insulated by our homes.  But this is apartment living! These are the lives of the real neighbors of Upland.

peace~~~