Guns On a Monday

Imagine a day that starts off with the sun blazing, the birds chirping, softness of your pillow against your face, and silence of a day God has blessed you with again. Imagine, you spend most of your day, enjoying your freedom, peace and space, and for most of the day it's productive until you brave the day...This is the beginning of my sunny day. It was 3pm, when I made my way over to West Haven to work with my youth IT group. The group center is located in the area of West Haven that is located down the street from the United Center where the Chicago Bulls plays their games. And in an area that is genetrifying, white folks living in an area that used to be mainly occupied by low income residents. An area that is still weeding out low income residents or forcing them out because manly of them cannot afford the high income requirements for the tree lined houses that occupy the area now. Two blocks away from the United Center, there are still projects, and gang bangers hanging on the corner, liquor heads, and drug dealers, and the occasional music bumping hooptie that flies through the streets near Washington where I am to head up my IT group. My gear of choice this day was athletic shoes, jogging pants, lady locks pulled back, and a blue and white warming jacket on, because of course, Chicago's winds were ruffling up a bit. At 3:30 pm, I stroll in the liquor store to grab some snacks for my youth group. At 3:40 pm, and I'm happy to see the motorcycle group practicing, mainly upper class white folks with nice Harley Davidson's. As I cross the streets and enter the Major Adams Academy, all appears well. The security monitor is asleep at the desk as I jump up the stairs, and I see absolutely no one in the hallways but I hear a choir of voices as I enter the Computer lab. The kids are having their fun, it's the younger baby computer group, ages five through eleven. They basically are on the internet, playing computer games, dressing up flexible Barbie-doll like images, and boys are on Cheater Codes or other game oriented sites. They are running around and playing, it's children being themselves, with a little ribbing from me because they need to go to the gym to do their running.

Closer to 4:30 pm, I don't have any students except Darious. It's an weird feeling that takes over me, because I know something is up. I'm worried. This is strange. My kids in IT normally call my cell phone or are in class on time, mostly. I called my group around 4:25pm, then around 4:45, my cell phone rings as though it's on fire. Students are saying there's shooting outside the building. I'm calm for the most part. Not really nervous but when Donisha calls me telling me the gangbangers are doing outside on Washington Street, I had to shut down my class. I told kids to get their butts home, walked them over to the side streets where they could cut home. The police was outside checking out the scene. Alonzo was dropped off by our Site Manager, and I cut out of there like Flo Jo. Thank god for the gym shoes. It's a Monday and the gangbangers already cutting up. What is a sister to do. I pray that none of my late students showed up for class. I tried to call kids, but most of my kids, would call the other kids to warn them of the situation, and I just had to put it in God's hands.

I made the decision to close my class down in five minutes flat. My students were worried about the stipend issue, because if they miss class, they get docked money, I told them I would not dock them. It was more important for them to get home safe than be in class. I gave the assignment as a homework assignment and hopefully things will cool down by Wednesday's class. If not, we'll have to go to plan B because our community workshop was scheduled for Thursday May 25th, but like I told them, we have to go with the flow and see what happens. Push come to push, it can be changed to another type of program, and as long as we all work on it, it's all good. Today's lesson: Some things are more important than others. Grace under fire is a great thing.

That's lesson #2 from my Mother. I have learned very well not to get nervous working in the community. I don't know if this has to do with dealing with serious life issues early in my life, or that I have thick skin. I just know it's okay. Eventually everything will flow back into the direction that I really wanted, but more importantly needed.

Oh, and I hope one day these gangbangers understand there are so many people who get hurt by what they do in the community. Putting down the gun can be a good thing. Stop getting locked up for no reason. Building your environment, not tearing it down, can be a beautiful thing.

Have a blessed week,
Mocha Sistah