We Tell it Like It Is

Mrs. Buyer & I traveled alone, deep into the thick of the inner city where I grew up. I hardly recognized certain buildings, landmarks, etc. as their colors & structures changed so much in 25 yrs. I felt very comfortable getting out of the car and into the first house. However, upon exiting the home and walking back to our cars, I could feel eyes on me. Were they suspicious but protective eyes on alert to new faces in the neighborhood; wondering who were were and what we were doing? My youthful appearance clad in a dress with briefcase in hand led me to believe I wasn't presenting a threat. Or were they predatory eyes sizing up vulnerable prey?

The eyes, the loud music, and the slow-moving vehicles started to draw up images in my mind of movies such as Boyz in the Hood where bullets flew from guns drawn out of coat pockets & car windows. My heart pounded as we continued our home shopping. Not one person approached us or vocalized anything to us from afar. Other than images in my mind, we were not threatened by anyone or anything around us. At one of the last houses we looked at, Mrs. Buyer approached a postman outside and asked him what he thought of the neighborhood. He said that he has never been threatened, and folks have always been curtious to him. Mrs. Buyer asked him if he'd be ok w/his sister buying this house that we had just looked at and his answer was "no". He said he would never be caught walking through those neighborhoods without his uniform. In his uniform, he serves a purpose, therefore, they leave him alone. Without it, he doesn't feel safe.

We talked w/other neighbors that have lived there for many years and they said they felt safe in their homes, in spite of incidents a few blocks away that send sirens & flashing lights down the streets on a regular basis. They have been left alone and feel completely independent from the crime that takes place in other areas, which they believe is isolated to specific individuals.

So, I guess its all subjective. Its all about one's comfort level and interpretation. What I can say though is that all the homes we looked at in N Mpls were the opposite of the vandalized, missing copper, rat-infested, broken windowed that one may picture being for sale there. We saw some VERY nice homes for a very good price. Each person must be the judge of how they feel in the areas that they are in.