Rain and Moral Ambiguity in Cole

Finally the heat has subsided here in Cole!

After the seemingly endless heat of late and the customary summer brown-out, we've had significant rainstorms 3 of the last 4 days. My admittedly irresponsible bluegrass front and back lawns greened up so instantly and completely that I awoke this morning to find three yuppies using our front yard as a practice green. When I pointed out their mistake, and that City Park Golf Course was a few blocks to the east, they were on their way, leaving me to my bucket-sized cup of coffee. No, this really didn't happen, but you get my point I hope. My only concern is that our bad-ass, west nile infected mosquitoes are likely enjoying this moisture as much as I am.

Sitting on our front porch this evening, enjoying a decidedly Michigan-esque summer evening, I learned that one of the two nice old sisters that own one of the homes on our block just passed away. I learned about it from my neighbor, the son and nephew of the two owners. I certainly feel sorry for her death, and for his family's loss.

Even though that house is the one problem house on our block. The one that is the magnet for any of the "old neighbors" that are seeking some crack. Basically, the two sisters own the house; only one of them has lived there for the last several years, while the other (the one that just passed on) lived in another state. It's all of their sons, daughters, nieces and nephews that have turned their otherwise beautiful old house into a true nuisance.

For me, one of the hardest things about living in this neighborhood is finding the right balance between empathy (because while this family is clearly troubled and perpetuating criminal activity in Cole, Whittier, and Five Points, they're real people just like me) and my intense desire to rid this area of the declining yet still present drug problem.

Sometimes it's hard to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys--I can only imagine how hard it is for the police department to constantly be walking that fine line between the effective police tactics to fight the true criminals, while still respecting the rights of the residents.

Then, when you have a likable neighbor like we do that deals drugs one day, then wakes up his neighbor the next to help her avoid getting ticketed on street sweeping day, it becomes quite the conundrum. "He doesn't deal drugs THAT much, right? Just every couple days or so. Maybe I'm being too hard on him, I mean, he's quiet, and very friendly, right? Wait, what are you thinking, he's a drug dealer!" Or the other guy, his cousin, that as far as I can tell doesn't do or deal any drugs, but certainly looks the other way when the rest of his family does. He's a really great guy, too, super friendly, very affable, and has always welcomed us to the neighborhood, from day one. But it still bothers me that he (and so many other residents) look the other way when someone they know is peddling drugs and perpetuating the problem.

The fact is that with this lady's death, God rest her soul, this problem house moves one step closer to possibly being sold to a more responsible family, and while I'm sorry about the circumstances, I'm not disappointed about that fact.