I'm going to be an old lady before I know it!

Just a sort of GRRR.
And yeah, I added the trigger icon to be safe

It just makes me mad to see communities deteriorating.
I mean, maybe I'm just seeing things now that I'm older that I didn't really see or care about as a kid. But seriously, on the way home there were just a bunch of punks in the middle of the road, I swear walking at the slowest pace possible. Of course, because they don't really care about traffic to begin with they keep walking even though we stop. It looked as though they were walking towards our car even while stopping. Which of course triggers all sorts of lovely thoughts.

Now, I'm really more of a liberal person on the spectrum. It's not exactly often that I use the phrase "deteriorating communities" But seriously, I'm getting sick and tired of the drug users coming up from NYC, Albany, Troy, etc. bringing all of their violence, gangs, drugs, you name it with them. Now, it was there before, and it always has been, but now there is even more. This wouldn't be nearly as much of an issue if I wasn't well...myself, with irrational thoughts running through my head as is sometimes, boisterous people in particular (which now that it's warmer seem to be coming out in droves...in the winter time it's usually just drunks roaming the streets at night) are triggering.

Yeah, I feel sort of stupid ranting about these things but it's like my home base is now becoming a more dangerous place. It's not feeling SAFE anymore. Drugs and violence are like an infection that seems to be spreading from the big city areas to the rest of the state now.

I mean, it's not like the city where I live has been kittens and butterflies and rainbows until now, but it compounds. I remember in Elementary/Middle school it seemed like every other week, if not more, we had to take a note home that says "a level ____ sex offender has moved into your area." eventualy people just stopped caring because at that point it was just a way of life. A childhood friend went in his parent's footsteps and became a gang member, other "friends" of my brother's are still probably raising hell somewhere. Bars have been closed down several times for trafficking heavy drugs, and several former neighbors of our's were addicts but at least these were all private affairs. We still walked to school by ourselves at 6 and 7 years old without having to worry about strangers coming by and kidnapping. You didn't have to worry about whether or not you were going to be hassled on the streets by some punks. Even if there were gangs there wasn't really a lot of gang activity. For a long time that was my standard model of safe growing up. Looking back, yeah, it's not exactly ideal, but at least a little managble in comparrison.

To clarify though... I'm not angry at the people, I'm angry at the crap they are spreading.

I am preety new here and am not quite understanding some of the lingo. Can you tell me what "the trigger" means?
How can you not be angry at the people if they are spreading the crap?

Don't feel stupid for ranting (((((((((Kaika)))))))))))) I mean, I don't live too close to downtown in my city, but I live close enough that going through that area scares the crud out of me!! Never nice to be around violence and all of that sort of thing... it's a shame that some areas turn out like that. I feel sorry for the people that have to live there on a daily basis and deal with that sort of thing -- I guess I've lived a fairly "privileged" life. Even though we had a *major* drug dealer at out highschool and everyone knew about it - and even with random drug dog tests coming to our school, the guy only was caught after the umpteenth time!!

Do keep yourself safe, okay though? That's always the thing I worry about - going through a place like even downtown in my city - major panic because without fail there will be some sort of violence.

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LSCS1950 - the "trigger icon" is the one Kaika has put on this post - the red circle with an "X" through it? You see it? That's a trigger icon - you put it on your post if it discusses something that might trigger or upset people - stuff about violence, and things like that.

Yup times sure have changed for the bad since we were kids. when I get discouraged about my hometown changing for the bad I try and look for some positive changes too. like theres more rules now in my hometown so that kids who are being abused can go to the teachers and tell and get the help that they need. there is a guy in my home town who was a teacher abusing kids and got prosecuted, he pled guilty and did his time. and for 10 more years yet cant be anywhere in the town where kids under 18 go. when I was a kid they just swept thse kinds of things under the carpet. sometimes change is bad but cometimes change is good too.

To answer your questions....

1. A trigger is something that recreates traumatic feelings/memories etc. I personally tend to use the word in the sense that is causes me lot of anxiety, general upset feelings, and bad thoughts.

2. I can't be angry at them because I don't really know them. It's not fair to be judgmental like that. Granted, I tend to believe the best in people...but you don't know why they do what they do.

((((Kaika))))

Communities deteriorating:

I know exactly what you mean, sort of. I saw my area when it was bad, watched it make improvements....just to fall apart again

I just hope that my efforts with a small group of others to coach & teach the younger generation in our area bares some fruit eventually in turning things around...unfortunately though we only get the kids a few hours a week & it only takes a few minutes in their home environments to unravel it.

With the kids in the street...I speed up. I think many of our neighbors aren't sure what to make of me. I spent a year tracking down a guy that stole a ten dollar lawn mower out of my yard & pressed charges
The gangs pretty much know I'm too OCD to mess with
Either that or they leave my house alone because they want their kid to start the next game. Even gang bangers tend to leave ya alone when you help their kids out.

Don't feel bad for it making you mad....anger isn't a bad emotion contrary to popular belief...anger means you give a damn....how you deal with the anger is what is good or bad...& ranting isn't a bad way.

LK

kaika,

when you are an old lady
you'll still be as cool as ever

that's for sure!!!!

((((Kaika)))

((((free2be)))))

xxoxoxoxoxo

((((((((kaika)))))))))))))))))))) you are a very nice young person
very kind hearted ...you really are well aware of thats going on in your area
good for you for being a person who notices and cares
I just want you to know when you are old I will still be 22

What an excellent thing to be talking about on a psych site, healthy communities not just individuals!

I don't know, but I think there is no respect for maturity and wisdom anymore amoungst the young and immature, I'm not sure they even know these things exist... the latest gadget (or drug) is the solution to all the worlds problems, not wise, sensible, caring, thoughtful, experienced advice.

On the other hand I sometimes think older people do not take enough care of young people, often they exploit them. It is a very complex world I think many people may need to treated with caring at least until they are 30.

Older people seem to just leave kids in their community to the mercy of predatory multi-nationals who peedle (often very decadent, or at least unrealistic) rock music, war games and a myth that being immature is everything.

My thoughts so far anyway.