I know that some people who have been to the Occupy Wall St site report that they feel like they’ve seen something refreshing and beautiful. I can’t say that I feel the same way, but I saw something even closer to home that gave me hope and humbled me. Forgive me, but this is more beautiful than OWS could ever hope to be.
My neighborhood is gentrifying. I live in a shiny new building amongst run down buildings housing small businesses selling cheap goods and food. When I leave my building, about 90% of the faces I see are dark skinned, and I value that. I don’t think there is too much residential space in my neighborhood yet, but its a big shopping district and houses lots of government buildings. I can’t say that I feel entirely good about my place in this area and I have lots of complex and contradictory thoughts and feelings regarding that. The summary is that I think its really about improving standard of life for everyone. Removing people from their run down neighborhoods vs. leaving them in it with no options: there’s not as much of a gap in the crappiness of each, if you ask me.
However, my point is not to get into the issues around gentrification, but to let you know that the people who move through my neighborhood are people of color, likely largely of humble means. A couple blocks away, a building is being renovated. Dan told me that the wall around the space has been turned into a huge chalkboard with the words “Before I Die…” painted on. The idea is that people can write down things that they want to accomplish before they die. If I’m honest, I thought that it would quickly devolve into a bunch of meaningless scribbles, particularly because its an area that high school kids like to hang out after school lets out.
I was very pleasantly surprised. Walking by today, I took pictures of some of the answers. Some moved me deeply.
Before I die I want to…
be at peace
pray for the sick, homeless, suffering
teach my child joy
see my kids have a better future
make a better living
see peace
forgive my father
get out the hood
make my mom proud
forgive
be a better dad than my father
