Good-bye to the Drug dealers and Crackheads

As I am looking out the window, the train passes by for the last time. We live directly behind the railroad tracks; everyday we hear the same annoying train pass by. I am happy that we are moving out of this neighborhood. It's sad to say, but there were days when I didn't want to walk across the street because I would have to deal with the low-life drug dealers and crackheads. All day long the crackheads would stand across my street in front of the store, drink, act foolish, and waste away to practically nothing. The drug dealers would stand out there from the time I went school until late at night. They never tried to sell drugs to me, but I hated looking at them. They thought that selling drugs was the only way to make money, rather than getting an education. While I look out the window I notice them standing across the street wasting away. "Tiffani, come bring this box to the car," yells my mom. I guess I have to take some boxes down.

Its 6:30a.m. And it's raining. I'm standing in front of King's Market, a little corner store in my neighborhood. Me and my homeboys are just chillin; tonight we did an all nighter. That's when we sell for the whole night; we don't go to sleep or do anything besides selling dope. Since I was 14 I've been on these streets-now I'm 21. Life out here is crazy. We always have some shit going on. Oh! By the way, my name is Tyrone.

I need to go home and take a shower, but I hate going home because I live with my grandma. My mom was too strung out on drugs to take care of me, and I don't know my dad. Every time I go home my grandma looks at me with a sad face. She's disappointed in me because I am 21 years old and I have been selling drugs since I was 14. She wanted me...

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...ong way I can still have it. Since I've grown up around dope I don't think I'm hurting anyone because I only sell to people that are already strung out on drugs. Maybe one day I will stop, but until then I will continue selling dope because this is my way of life.

Unlike many of the people in my neighborhood, my mother has instilled in me the value of knowing that I can do better than what many of these people are settling for. Knowing that I can have a successful future inspired me to avoid being reared in by this environment. While I take my last few boxes down to the car I bump pass Tyrone. He is a drug dealer, but he doesn't bother me. Maybe, one day these people will change their lifestyle. There has been a lot of drama here, but it is time to move on to something better. As I put away my last few boxes I quietly say good-bye to my old neighborhood.