Shell shocked

Portland, like many cities, has undergone gentrification over the past few decades, and the neighborhood my friend Ross lives in is no exception. Whitey has moved into his neighborhood, in abundance, over the last few years, and the NE Alberta to Fremont area has gone from shady area to only slightly shady area. Still, there are remnants of the hard-knock life in the area. There are still streets nearby that are notorious drug spots; I, for instance, had a man wave a bag of crack at my from the sidewalk as I drove through the area one night.

A few weeks ago, I got a taste of the thuggish-ruggish life, when Ross and I got shot at in my car. I had just pulled up across the street from his house when my car came under fire--two kids on their porch had lit a bottle rocket and let it loose just as I was pulling up, and it skipped off the roof of my car, caromed into Ross' yard and exploded. So that's what it is like, growing up in the hood, coming under fire on a daily basis. Respect.

Edit: Changed NW Alberta to NE Alberta cuz I am dumb with typing directions.