I hear the phrase TR batted about in my circles as it relates to Christian doctrine, but I have learned to live out my own version of “Totally Reformed” as the occasionally proud and often humbled owner of a house in St. Elmo.
My house needed and still needs some heavy reforming – perhaps Total Reforming. Not only physically (as my neighbors can attest to) but relationally. Not only does it have a drug “rep,” but it has urban legends tied it. According to community history, legend and police reports… I’m the proud owner of St. Elmo’s first brothel, a prohibition era liquor den and smuggling point (from the caves and tunnels under my home of course) and most recently a triplex drug den with a transient outhouse.
All of this history left this frame of wood and stone in sorry physical shape and for better than worse a local contracting team saved it from destruction. Doing their part to bring it back to life if not treat some of the major wounds inflicted upon it. I, in all of my DIY challenged nature, am left with this post-op property.
So I’m left with a two-fold project. One, fix the functional aspects of the house – and two, figure out how to create a better legacy for this new home.
As a heinously white (yes, my family’s from Indiana/Iowa) socially ignorant neighbor – how do I fit into my community? How do I act as a good neighbor? Do I have to like it when folks honk incessantly at 2AM?, Do my kids attend the local schools? What do I with all the beer containers thrown in my yard? These among a slew of other questions don’t have me rethinking where I live, they just remind me why many other folks (like my parents) choose not to live here.
What I hope can happen in this blog, and even better – in this community, is a candid discussion of why we live were we do and what do we do to contribute to the fabric of St. Elmo (non St. Elmo folks please comment as well). Am I condescending by even bringing up the subject? Am I the invader? Am I the salt that this community so desperately needed, and without my redeeming presence would 53rd and Beulah would have fallen into the pit of hell… you can throw up now or later. Seriously though, what do you think? Give me some feedback on this. I know you probably don’t have the answers, but I’d at least like some insight into your own thoughts.
7 Comments
welcome to blogland.
good questions indeed. I tend to think more about what’s inside my walls than out (as can be clearly seen from the curb). I tend to think I’m out of balance here, but I’m not sure how much energy I’ve got left for such potentially good intentions. is that a cop-out?
I live in St. Elmo currently for the expressed purpose of drinking 3 fingers of bourbon with the many great neighbors I have and for running out slum lords like Sherfi and Buddy Coppage. Everybody needs fellowship and a good crusade.
Stelmodad welcome to blogland.
I live in St. Elmo for people like you, BobW, WWJCD (what would jeff cross do), Thunder Sunder, Dr. Fikkert, the Sweets, the Martins, the Stavens, Marylu Carl, Arlene Cadwell, the King of Widows Andy M., Deez Halvorson, Smooth Cal Burroughs, Estar, Drew Carey er Doug Heightsue, and on and on and on. This neighborhood is ridiculously filled with kind and wonderful people.
Plus it’s got a great aesthetic (foundationally speaking; it still has a long ways to go) w/ lots o’ character.
Before living in St.Elmo, I thought it was a scary place because of the reputation it had in Chattanooga. However after living in St.Elmo, much of taht fear went away. I lived in 5 different houses in St.Elmo, the first being the building on 49th that just collapsed. Granted, there are rough spots in St.Elmo, but in general the large presence of Covenant alumni and current students make it a pretty safe place to live, physically and spiritually. It’s a unique community.
We now live in an inner city neighborhood of Atlanta where we are the racial minority (being white) and feel like it everyday. It took over a year for the locals to realize we weren’t there for drugs, nor were we going to leave anytime soon. Most everybody has accepted us after our initiation of being robbed once. We live in our community to understand what better what issues the poor and underrepresented struggle with. We struggle with the feeling that we always have the option to get out, whereas many of these people don’t have that option. After learning how to live in this neighborhood, I’m not sure we could ever go back to a ’safe, middle, (white)’ class neighborhood.
Anyways, I understand a lot of your fears, questions, and feelings. As you MAKE and effort to get to know your scarier neighbors they will appear less scary, you might even start to like their quirks. Don’t see it as your mission to ‘reform’ the community, simply be a part of it. You’ll learn more and do more that way. St. Elmo is alive….
I’m here for you too Josiah, those on your list and others. It’s I keep finding all these hundreds of other folks who live here too that I don’t know. Some think I’m some rich guy who moved in, or a new dealer, or that we’ve started a new slum lords outfit (I still get four sets of phone books, junk mail for multiple addresses, and was the proud owner of three new garbage cans when they came out).
There’s a really sweet elderly lady a couple doors down from me, if you kindly place those beer cans in a pile, I am sure that she will collect them for you and turn them in for the pennies offered for recycling. This is by far the nicest neighborhood I have ever lived in. I don’t have to break my back reaching out to people. Who wants to be reached out to? Who would just like a neighborly friend? We just sit outside and people come. In my last neighborhood I was invited to a Bible study to be a pillar in the group. Oh boy, was I humbled as I learned so much from the women in that group. I was definately the ignorant white girl. It was so good. I’m not here to save the neighborhood, but I would like diverse friends. So, no matter who you are….stop by, we don’t bite, and we won’t drown you in agendas. Hey, btw St.Elmodad the legacy of your home is great. Pass it on, as hope only comes when there is need. Cool BLOG!
Thanks Sember, I’m apt to get overwhelmed when I consider it all. We try to stay open with folks and meet those around us. It’s just when I (I’m careful not to say we) actually come across something outside of what I know, I tend to pull back. We need to get by your place sometime soon. Take care.