My home, Meadowview, smells like fresh air. It’s a friendly neighborhood. You always see people smile and help each other. I live around the Meadowview community center, a place where you can go kick back with your friends. Somewhere where you can swim and slide down into the clear blue water. Splash in with smiles on your face. In my city, lots of lovers like to ride. In my city, lots of kids like to vibe. Looking outside my bedroom window, I could see the beautiful sun rising everyday at 6 in the morning. Teens like me don’t just stay home, we could go out and watch movies. We can just cruise around in the light rail with our student id cards. Teens don’t start drama. We tend to get along really well. Stores give out samples that are really tasty. Everyone would go to ice cream shops and get 1 dollar cones with any flavor they want. There’s a corner store with very nice and generous workers. 

Sorry but not sorry to tell you the truth, but that isn’t the reality that I see on a daily basis. Meadowview, my home is very quiet during the day, but very loud at night.  People aren’t very friendly. People only smile when they make fun of each other. Scent of fresh air? No, we smell the scent of gas from cars spinning in circles, the scent of men and women smoking weed, and smoke from cigars being puffed in front of kids. Loud, bumpy, vibrating music filling my room during the night. Loud, noisy helicopters searching for escaping prisoners. Wailing ambulances zooming past the neighborhood. Girls starting drama over the same boy. Men abusing women. Shouts and gunshots every now and then. My family is sometimes shocked, but we get over it. We lock the door, shut the windows, close the curtains, and just sit in our parents room. Peek out the window, but we are scared they will spot us. 

It’s not that I’m complaining about living in Meadowview.There are some fun days, but most of the time there’s like an imaginary stormy cloud above your head thinking about the bad stuff that had recently happened. Truth be told. Meadowview is ghetto, but fun. Meadowview is somewhere I wouldn’t expect to have visitors, unless it’s the feds. Meadowview is somewhere you can call home if you know the big homies. Meadowview runs like the wild. 

 I represent Meadowview and my goal will help me get out there. I feel all wrapped up in a blanket, but blankets can always get yanked off of you. Meadowview is in my heart, but in my opinion it’s not for everyone.