The Old Neighborhood

So, a few weeks ago my parents were telling me about a police sting called Operation Shady Rest. It was pretty much a drug raid that ended up with the arrest of several people that grew up in my old neighborhood.

What is more interesting is that the operation, is named after my old neighborhood. So when my parents told me about this story, I immediately asked the question, when did it get so bad?

But looking back on my youth, I guess I would have to say that it was always that bad. One of my most vivid memories of growing up in Shady Rest, is seeing one of my male family members brutally beat a female in his front yard.

There was a crowd around him, cheering him on, and if it wasn't for a police officer passing by, the situation could have been a whole lot worse.

Another memory is when I was around 14 and one of the kids I grew up with took exception to another kid running off at the mouth. He promptly pulled out a gun and threatened to kill him right in front of me. I guess you could say that was when I really realized that things were really serious.

Now when I go to my old neighborhood, the chatter is, who got locked up this time. Or moreso, who killed who? I guess this is the reality of it all. The old neighborhood indeed.