Tragedy and Trade Offs

Since I returned from Penland I've heard gun shots outside my apartment on three separate nights. A week ago Wednesday a man who was feeding the homeless was shot and killed in front of my apartment. Here's a link to the story about the murder of Paris Powell. People gathered last Friday night for a vigil in his memory at the place where he was shot on my street. It's so sad and senseless.

Life here is not easy. I'm shaken by the violence and feel hemmed in by the high cost of living in the Bay Area. It seems like reasonably priced housing and work space for artists are in unsafe, and environmentally contaminated neighborhoods. More than ever I feel the limits of my life as an artist and the trade offs I have to live with everyday. This is the reality of urban life.

I was speaking with my close creative friend Mary Yordy about it. She brought to light that right now what's important to me is having a space of my own so that I can stay on track with my work. If I see this place as temporary, one or perhaps two more years, I can reconcile the trade offs and accept the reality of living in a dangerous neighborhood... with vigilance, of course. What else CAN I do?