Dear Kneegrows,

Thank you for your assistance. Because of your actions, you have helped me to decide upon a particular course of action. That action is to leave your neighborhood. And make no mistake about it; it is indeed your neighborhood. I had been wavering on this decision for some time now. Stay in the city or leave for the suburbs? But that last shootout in front of home finally convinced me to move.

To think, I used to believe we were one and I used to worry about you. I have plenty of old friends who have been down on their luck. But after witnessing the same dismal scenes over and over, it became apparent to me. The weed, cigarettes, , unkempt beards, foul language, hoodies and dirty boots. I have never seen any of you attempt to work honestly except to shovel snow occasionally. You hug the corners like long, lost relatives and sit on stoops like brass gargoyles. Safe streets would succeed admirably if they employed you. Your patience and dedication in watching the neighbors come and go to school and work would be commendable if not for your underlying motives. We are your neighbors and you have burglarized us time and time again. What did we ever do to you? If only you’d put this much planning and dedication toward finding and keeping a job and enrolling in school. But alas, that is not to be. So farewell and good luck. I wish you success in your honest endeavors and if I should hear of your demise in the coming months or years, I’ll be sure to smile.

Sincerely,

Your Neighbor

that was a good one vincent. and i co-sign a thousand times on that one. i'm sick of it myself. the love/hate relationship with the block. people who don't have the decency to do their dirty work outside of their own places of habitation--even animals don't shit where they sleep.

and yes, dedication is a must on their parts. too bad it's misguided.

i loved this letter. and i might be rolling with you on out of my own neighborhood.

I keep thinking of MAD TV...I could see this letter being read on a skit there...I'm sorry, I had to laugh a little

to add to this, i've been having this feeling lately like something bad was going to happen. i've been feeling it for a week now. i've been really paranoid that someone was going to break into our house. don't ask me why.

then, i learned this morning that someone broke into our neighbor's house. luckily they weren't home, but still.

the other strange thing is that i woke up that same night at like two in the morning. i thought i heard a loud noise, but since i'd been sleeping, i figured it was part of my dream. i guess it wasn't.

i'm so sick of it all. i'm tired of worrying all the time. of all the shady characters. it's really a shame because the city has so much to offer, but all at a price. i see now why people who have money live in gated communities.

~Update~

I saw a neighbor this morning as I was leaving for work. He was recently burglarized and bought a gun. But I saw a "For Sale" sign put on his lawn within the last week. I asked him what happened and he told me that his wife is making him sell the house so he doesn't have to kill any of the kneegrows on the block. He also mentioned that he has seen some of the guys scoping houses at 5:30AM recently. Do thieves ever sleep

well, since they aren't working. they got all the time in the world.

(nawwww, i know some of them work.)

it's all just really sad.