So I'm watching the local news the other day and only half paying attention when news come on about some local drug bust. The police had been staking this place out for a while, watching the dealers and buyers coming in and out - taking down names, recording faces.

Suddenly the TV cameraman zooms in on the house to this old trellis up the side of the shingled house that reminded me of the one that ran along our side and I'd use to sneak out at night by climbing down. Then the camera panned over towards the porch and it reminded me of our old porch where we stored our roller skates and bikes and dirty shoes. Then it did a wide angled view and I literally gasped in my chair - I screamed at the TV "Hey that's my old house!"

I was realy upset about this! How dare those thugs desecrate my childhood home in such a filthy manner! The police were talking about how they founds cash, drugs, stashes of guns, and two little kids sitting in their diapers in the bedroom.

When I grew up there, it was a nice family type neighborhood. No one had much money but we weren't poor either. Just solid working folk types. We used to ride our bikes and play tag and Red Rover until it got dark (and often later) until our fathers came home from work and moms called the kids in for dinner. Kids were free to be kids, not worrying about getting shot at or shooting up or cops breaking down the doors and hauling dad away in handcuffs.

So much has changed in the world. I really wish I'd not seen that.