Things are changing in my neighborhood and not for the better. Two weeks ago, me, Mike and the boys were heading out to run a few errands and check out an estate sale. We were only a couple of blocks down the road stopped in traffic when I saw something that made me...loss of words...mad, sick, disgusted?
At first, I was in shock. I think I still am. We were in traffic in front of a fast food restaurant. A girl (probably 18 or so) was preening in skin tight jeans with her butt pointing out at traffic and her t-shirt pulled up over her stomach. A woman was standing about 5 feet away from her looking toward the traffic and was making a weird hand signal by her ear. I looked, Mike looked and we both said, "Are you kidding me? No way!" at about the same time. Guess who else noticed? The boys. They saw her and asked what she was doing? Mike and I were watching the whole scene play out in front of us. Her pimp motioned for her to walk across the street with her. I haven't been able to put this into words and honestly don't really know how to. The boys kept asking what was going on. I wanted to call the police (didn't) and the light turned green and we were on our way.
This past week our cars and our my neighbor's car was broken into. Our doors were all unlocked. It is hit or miss with us locking our doors. If I think about it, I lock the car doors before I go to bed. The other night, I didn't and someone helped themselves to extra change and an old Hi8 camcorder that didn't work and was on its way to Goodwill. They got away with a broken camcorder and battery, a handful of change and a plug in thing I use to charge my netbook for work. My neighbor had his Ipod and ten dollars in change stolen.
The biggest loss is a sense of security. As I drove my car to work the next day I couldn't get past the thought that someone sat in my car, opened up the back and went through my stuff. Where ever you live, there is a certain amount of normalcy over time. You know the neighbors that are eccentric and ones that keep to themselves. Generally, everyone feels safe. It's a quiet neighborhood. My elderly neighbors have lived here since their homes were built in the late 1940's. We always lock the doors to our house, even while we are home. You never know?
A month ago, I read about an older woman who lives a few miles away (in a very good neighborhood) that was attacked in her garage as she did laundry. She had the garage door open. A man came in and she tried to run and he said, "You're not going anywhere". He beat her, went through her things and left. He didn't take anything of value. Or did he? He took her sense of security and well being. You can't put a price on that, and once it's gone, can you get it back?
When our cars were broken into Mike and I assumed the boys had been in the cars looking for toys. They do that a lot. However, when Mike noticed his glove box was open and I was missing my charger and the camcorder box was outside the car, we knew. I believe it's a sign of our economy. I also believe we can expect this to get worse.
We are stuck in that we have wanted to move for a long time. We can't sell our house because the mortgage is underwater. We can rent it but then we can't get another mortgage. I have been looking online for a small farm in the Appalachians. Luckily, Mike is an RN and can get work nearly anywhere. I have found a handful of properties that would be perfect, but...some are priced too high for the market and they are more than likely underwater on their mortgages as well. Some are run down too much. I love a project but am not prepared to buy a knock down. The ones that offer owner held mortgages tend to be way too expensive even if we could get a mortgage. So...
We have two options, rent our house and buy a owner held mortgage (in our price range) or buy a property with 2 homes and have my in-laws come in on the deal. That is tricky. I would love it but they like their privacy, prefer a duplex and don't mind being in town. On the other hand, we are looking for the "it" home and really want a small farm in the hills. A nice place to raise our boys, have neighbors a mile away and...a place where you aren't likely to see a prostitute and her pimp just down the road or have your cars broken into. After writing all of this I think I'm just plain sad.
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