ANYTHING

As I was sitting at the bus stop yesterday, I saw it:  The drivers had to stop at the light right in front of the bus stop, and I saw it again, repeatedly - in fact.  That look.  The one from drivers and passengers alike:  The one which said:  'I'm not sure how you got there, but I'd do anything not to be you.'  The blank, resolute stare which said - 'I'd. Do. ANYTHING.'


I'll put up with an abusive boyfriend, not to be you....
I'll put up with my alcoholic husband, not to be you....
I'll put off that divorce I've been wanting, so I don't have to be you.
I'll pawn my mothers wedding ring, so I can make this car payment and rent, not to be you...
I'll put up with my slob of a roommate, not to be you...
I'll work three jobs, not to be you....
I'll pretend to like someone I don't really like, just so I can get a loan from them;  Anything - not to be you...
I'll continue to live with my ignorant, judgmental in-laws, just so I don't have to be you....
I'll sell my soul, and sleep with the devil.... Anything - not to be YOU !


And, who am I?  Oh, well I'm a normal, average person whose fallen down on bad luck;  But they don't know that.  Any number of factors could be used to mix up a recipe of how I became ME.
Racism, discrimination, in my case - fraud, greed, waste, mismanagement and harassment led to eviction from a #HUD funded public housing complex called Rockville Housing Enterprises. Oh, they're horrible, nasty people - especially Stacy Brooks, the biggest (literally) and nastiest of them all.  They'd repeatedly send me eviction letters in the mail, and post the bright, yellow copy to my door for everyone in the neighborhood to see;  Despite the fact that I'd already paid it...  Ignore maintenance requests, talk bad about me to private sub-contractors behind my back, in general - smear my name and defame my character.  It wasn't bad enough that my home was in the worst part of town;  Complete with drugs, shootings and stabbings.... No, they also knowingly housed us in a mold-ridden home, which wasn't up to code;  Right next to an open sewage drain, rife with mosquitoes and other unsavory bugs, insects and debris.  It was toxic.  The whole situation was toxic, as a matter of fact.  It caused both my son and I to dread coming 'home'.  Did you ever feel that way?  But, I put up with it, WHY?!  Because I would've done anything, ANYTHING, not to be me.