Memories of my Neighborhood

The T: On Vermont to Gage and Slauson, Vermont to Marvin's.

    It has been a long time since I thought about anything that wasn't on a computer or about a job.  If I had to pick one spot that was my favorite childhood place though, it would probably have to be the giant T made by Vermont from Gage to Slauson and by Vermont to the front of my high school friend Marvin’s house.

    In middle school I walked that stretch everyday to get home from school.  At the time, I went by the name Sir Cancollect (probs because people thought I collected cans), and I wasn't alone on these walks. 

I walked with Oscar (long time friend), my neighbors, and my sister, and had a bunch of other kids from the same school who just happened to live in the same direction walking that way.  Given that I had two people I knew around me and then a bunch of randos too, I felt pretty safe and still do. 

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This is where my head got touched

     The second part of the T (stretch != T) i.e. Vermont to Marvin's house, wasn't really of much importance to me till high school.  Up till the end of high school, I skated everyday.  Most of the time in my neighborhood. But a bunch of other times in front of Marvin's house.  That place was close to an auto-body shop, and you could smell the paint for the mini block.

    I always knew I had friends in that area, and you could just be real there.  One time, Marvin, Little Jess(a mutual friend since middle school), and I were broke, so we figured why not just go explore and pick up some cans (shut up), maybe make some scratch.  We did the usual talking, but we were itchy because we were going down an alley behind Marvin's house and we were looking forward to all the food we would be able to buy with that money.  We never did get very much cash for it all, so money wise it was probably a waste, but it was fun.

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View of the "T" from the bottom up

  Now, on one of the many walks that I took down, we were around this recycling center on the way home.  This one (what I can only assume to be) homeless dude always hung around in front of the recycling center.  So one day when we were all just talking, this guy comes up to me and rubs my head. 

    I'm walking there fucking dazed at what just happened and I got Oscar laughing his ass off behind me (I got Oscar back for that in high school).  I still don't know whether he put mocos on me or just wanted to feel my head, but I swear to God I felt closer to the dude.  The fact that I still remember this dumb situation that happened maybe nine to ten years ago means something, probably. He also snatched a bottle from me once but I didn't get too much out of it other than Sir Cancollect making a comeback.

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