Erin Go Black

I don’t know if it was because of the St. Patrick’s Day spirit or the fact that I hadn’t consumed any spirits.

I don’t know if I had just reached my saturation point with the litter.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m premenstrual.

I do know that I simply couldn’t take one more day of looking at a still life of pre-urban renewal so I grabbed a bag and began picking up trash.

How could I not? You all saw the pictures of the "Pretty" post.

Folks, picking up empty bottles is one thing. I live in a neighborhood that is renewing itself after decades of decay and neglect. Trust me, I ain’t living la vida loca in some posh neighborhood. I knew when I moved down here what I’d be in for.

As long as I could walk to public transportation unmolested and no one broke into the crib, the rest of the stylish neighborhood accessories like stores, laundromats, and dry cleaners would eventually follow.

Sidebar: You may consider stores, laudromats and dry cleaners as staples but trust me, down where I live they’re accessories. I don’t live within a mile of any of the above businesses.

Nonetheless, I try to do my part for civic pride and the overall aesthetic of the ‘hood by picking up when the trash gets ridiculous. The following is a partial list of what I picked up this last time:

Glass bottles (beer, liquor)
Political signs
Assorted paper
Motor oil containers
Women’s underwear
Fast Food Bags
A woman’s ruffled skirt
Aluminum cans
Hair extensions
Braiding hair

I filled up 4 ½ 30 gallon bags in a little less than an hour and a half. Frankly I consider my impromptu clean and green a success as I didn’t pick up and crack pipes or used condoms.

Trust me, I wish I was making that up.

Apparently that crowd is starting to get the message that those activities aren’t welcome in this little piece of Woodlawn anymore.

Anyone with cash can move into Lincoln Park, The Gold Coast or the new Trump Tower---there’s no trick to that. If you gentle readers don’t mind me saying so, it takes vision and commitment to move to Woodlawn.

I tend not to follow trends---I’d rather set them.