New Places, Same Faces

I went down to my old stomping grounds today with one of my homies. I was kind of sad to see that the way I remembered it was not the way I found it today. Alot of things have changed. There was all these new Apt bulidings being put up, new "hip" bars, and all these new art galleries. I saw that a few places where I used to chill were either being taken down, or they have something totally new there and all that was once there is now gone.
Everytime I go down there its impossible not to run into someone who I know or knew or got high with or stole with or whatever. As soon as I stepped off the train steps I saw an old dealer. He looked so happy to see me. I thought wow I must be looking really good and he must be happy to see me doing good. YEA RIGHT! His first words after the inital "whats up?!" was "need anything I got that ill shit". I simply gave him a "no thanks homie Im good" and kept it moving. The dealer looked the same, and was hanging in the same spot. I then walked away with my homeboy and chilled out with him for a
few before heading home.
On my way to the train I ran into another person I knew. This was someone I used to
get high with. Seems like they are still getting high and things have just got worse with them. They are now homeless, smoking crack and selling thier body for money. Selling my ass was something I could never do for money. I would rather go out and rob then do that. I dont, and never knocked the hustle, it just wasnt for me. I just think its like the lowest thing to happen to a person. When you have to stand outside and flag cars down and then give 10-20 dollar blowjobs for money
shit is just insane in my mind.
After I gave her a smoke she then asked me if I had any money that I could give an "old
friend". Honestly I didnt give it to her because she was never a friend she was just someone I got high with. So I kept on walking and went on the train. As Im waiting for the train I saw a dude who I used to tell to stay away from drugs. There was a younger crowd that hung out where I was and I always used to tell them that the hard drugs I was on was no fucking fun and to never get down with them. Of course not all listened and some got addicted. Well this dude I saw was one of them. He had a girl who just turned 17 and who also just had a baby. I asked a bunch of questions and came to find out that his baby is doing fine and being taken care of by the family of the girl whom he had it with. That he was going down to the court house because his homeboy got busted yesterday at Rite Aid for stealing. He was now shooting dope and he has just turned 18. That last summer he spent most of it on Rikers and not on the streets. That his girl is out smoking crack and selling her body to get it. That shes sleeping with anyone and everyone in order to get it. That she cut her wrists the other day because she was out smoking for days and just "bugged out" as he said. That he has OD'ed once and he told the story of how it happened with a smerk as if there was something funny about it. I went on to tell him that he will have to learn on his own that this street life aint fun! That if he didnt get his shit together his baby would grow up without a mom and a
dad and that his baby will probably hate him for most of his life. That his baby never asked to be born and what he and his girl was doing wasnt fair to the kids life. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes and went on to say that he knew and he
wanted to get his shit together for his kid and that even if his girl didnt he would take care of the baby by himself.
His stop came up on the train and I gave him the pound and he got off and went to the courthouse to meet up with his running buddie. All I could think was dam Im glad I dont live that life anymore, and that I really felt for the baby and them as well because they were just babies themselves. I can bet any amount of money that they didnt REALLY know what they were getting into when first doing dope, and now that they have a habit its too dam late. I know because it happened to me just the same. Only I didnt have anyone like myself trying to warn them to stay away from drugs and that street life wasnt fun. When I caught my habit I had no clue what the fuck was going on but thats another story.
It just showed me that even though I have been away for awhile and only pass by here and there, not much has changed. Some people got stuck, some people got caught up, some people got worse and some people like myself woke the fuck up and started living.