“Be ye always nosy” was the blueprint of my Sancti-Fly grandma Lula. My grandmother's neighbors were exactly like her. They were extremely nosy. It was their signature to know what was going on at all times in their community and who everybody was. My cousins and I consistently visited my grandmother as young teenagers. We were always monitored by our elders. We always talked about how nosy they all were. One day I recall a jamboree of my cousins, cater-cousins, and I hanging out with our individual friends on the corner by my grandmother’s house. Two of my grandmother’s neighbors came outside with their Noxzema skin cream on their faces and head scarfs to tell us we were making too much noise. They told us they had to work in the morning. They could not sleep in light of a passel of us hanging out after midnight. In retrospect, I honestly concede we were being a little disrespectful. The music we were playing was disruptive. We were way too loud; hanging on the corner at 2 a.m. in the morning as young ladies with our slyboots. Our excuse was that we were right in front of our grandmother’s house; this is what young people do! We certainly knew better. We were stringently raised to respect our elders.
Wisdom is the pledge of allegiance against gormless intellect that was used by my grandmother and her entire community of informed citizens to keep us all safe. I totally get why they were as nosy as they had to be now that I have the sagacity of a prudent mindset. Ariel Castro kidnapped 3 young girls (Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Georgina "Gina" Dejesus) in Cleveland Ohio during the years of 2003-2004 and held them captive for 10 years. He raped them and he abused them. He treated them like animals, keeping them chained and locked up. He even had a daughter by one of the girls. Ariel Castro would not have lasted for a decade if he lived near my grandmother and her neighbors. Their inquisitive minds would have suspected that something was not right. How can we live in a civilization and not be a little nosy or watchful? We have to stop minding our on business when suspicious interruptions calls on us all to take a dip in being nosy and high sips of humanity for our society. I encourage all of us to be nosier. I know I am! My neighbors know I am just like my Lula (lol). Also, please watch your kids when you are out in public stores with them. Countless times I have observed many children walking by themselves in public stores and their parents are not near them. If I was a child abductor I would be filthy rich in abducting kids. Too many women are lackadaisical when it comes to ensuring their kids are by their side in public stores. Stop taking your children's safety for granted people! Sadly, I could have snatched so many kids. I so get why my mom, aunts, and grandmother always told us as children to make sure we were by them at all times when we entered public stores and places with them. When they moved, we moved! We could not touch anything, ask for anything and if we misbehaved we knew there were consequences coming after we left the stores.
Interestingly, people are so quick to assume nothing criminal can ever happen in their neighborhoods if they live in a certain area or town. This is antediluvian thinking at best. A friend of mines who lives in another state once told me about an incident that occurred in his city. The FBI went to serve a warrant to a man who was living on the same block as he was. The man allegedly was a member of a gang and a drug dealer. My friend said he was totally gobsmacked by the information. His neighbor was under investigation by the FBI for a few years. The entire street they lived on was closed down doing pursuit of my friend's neighbor by the FBI. All the local schools in proximity of their address was on lock-down as well. The story was all over the local news. The man did not surrender to the police. He was found dead in his house. He allegedly shot at some of the FBI agents (so you already know). Some of the neighbors who lived by my friend said he was a nice person. My friend agreed. Please remember suburban cities are sometimes the best area for criminals to hide out in or lay low in. Granted, if there is ample opportunity for someone to live next door to you and you are clueless of their illegal behaviors of molesting children, child abduction, or drug dealings, shame on you. It does not matter where you live! It can and will happen! There are always signs…always! Criminals can be nice neighbors. It is time for you to take a dip in being nosier with your neighbors and in your community. If you see something speak up and say something. If something appears strange or seem off, check it out!
What is it that you get? Do you allow understanding to slip by you with no evidence of empathy and sympathy attached to your humanity? Are you a person who is always so quick to judge, drowning in stereotypes with all of your lovely might? As my Lula (grandmother) use to say, keep on living, you'll get it. I pray that you will!
Wisdom is the pledge of allegiance against gormless intellect that was used by my grandmother and her entire community of informed citizens to keep us all safe. I totally get why they were as nosy as they had to be now that I have the sagacity of a prudent mindset. Ariel Castro kidnapped 3 young girls (Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Georgina "Gina" Dejesus) in Cleveland Ohio during the years of 2003-2004 and held them captive for 10 years. He raped them and he abused them. He treated them like animals, keeping them chained and locked up. He even had a daughter by one of the girls. Ariel Castro would not have lasted for a decade if he lived near my grandmother and her neighbors. Their inquisitive minds would have suspected that something was not right. How can we live in a civilization and not be a little nosy or watchful? We have to stop minding our on business when suspicious interruptions calls on us all to take a dip in being nosy and high sips of humanity for our society. I encourage all of us to be nosier. I know I am! My neighbors know I am just like my Lula (lol). Also, please watch your kids when you are out in public stores with them. Countless times I have observed many children walking by themselves in public stores and their parents are not near them. If I was a child abductor I would be filthy rich in abducting kids. Too many women are lackadaisical when it comes to ensuring their kids are by their side in public stores. Stop taking your children's safety for granted people! Sadly, I could have snatched so many kids. I so get why my mom, aunts, and grandmother always told us as children to make sure we were by them at all times when we entered public stores and places with them. When they moved, we moved! We could not touch anything, ask for anything and if we misbehaved we knew there were consequences coming after we left the stores.
Interestingly, people are so quick to assume nothing criminal can ever happen in their neighborhoods if they live in a certain area or town. This is antediluvian thinking at best. A friend of mines who lives in another state once told me about an incident that occurred in his city. The FBI went to serve a warrant to a man who was living on the same block as he was. The man allegedly was a member of a gang and a drug dealer. My friend said he was totally gobsmacked by the information. His neighbor was under investigation by the FBI for a few years. The entire street they lived on was closed down doing pursuit of my friend's neighbor by the FBI. All the local schools in proximity of their address was on lock-down as well. The story was all over the local news. The man did not surrender to the police. He was found dead in his house. He allegedly shot at some of the FBI agents (so you already know). Some of the neighbors who lived by my friend said he was a nice person. My friend agreed. Please remember suburban cities are sometimes the best area for criminals to hide out in or lay low in. Granted, if there is ample opportunity for someone to live next door to you and you are clueless of their illegal behaviors of molesting children, child abduction, or drug dealings, shame on you. It does not matter where you live! It can and will happen! There are always signs…always! Criminals can be nice neighbors. It is time for you to take a dip in being nosier with your neighbors and in your community. If you see something speak up and say something. If something appears strange or seem off, check it out!
What is it that you get? Do you allow understanding to slip by you with no evidence of empathy and sympathy attached to your humanity? Are you a person who is always so quick to judge, drowning in stereotypes with all of your lovely might? As my Lula (grandmother) use to say, keep on living, you'll get it. I pray that you will!
