Away

About a month ago, a little seven year old girl got gang raped about ten minutes from where I live. She was sold out by her 15 year old step sister. It made national headlines and even the creator of Def Comedy Jam and ex husband to Kimora Lee, Russel Simmons came to this dump of a city we called Trenton to make something happen.

They ended up organizing a group called Peace Keepers or something. I'm not sure what it's supposed to do. The gang problem, the drug problem here is way out of hand--too much for a group of 50 well meaning guys to have much impact.

The difference from kids today and back when I was a kid--that there are no limits. There is nothing sacred to them. And I know I can't raise my children here in this place. There is a dark, dark shroud over this city in which light refuses to penetrate. I don't believe any good can come from this place. When I was a girl--my mother struggled to get us out of here...and she did. I was blessed that I got to go to a good school system and be raised in a very good neighborhood.

It's raining here today. It's gray and cold and wet, but my apartment is warm. Israel is watching Nemo, the boyfriend is getting ready to leave for work and errands...and I'm sitting here thinking about things too much.

I wrote--but I didn't mean to. I mean...I wasn't trying to. My neice came over this weekend to spend the night and she saw it on my lap top and she asked me to read it to her. So I read it...and explained the story to her...and she liked it. She told me she couldn't wait until I wrote some more. So I think my main purpose now is writing so I can tell her the whole story. She wants me to read it all to her when I'm finished--which I think is funny. She'd read it herself, but she's only 8 and some of the words, she says, are too big. And she likes how I explain things.

I told her the gist of the story in less than five minutes. And she told me that I was going to be famous and when I was, could I take her on a cruise.

I promised I would. So...there's some incentive.