My Friend, East Oakland

The sun is shining and I'm sipping not quite warm enough coffee, avoiding blow drying my damp hair and I'm overwhelmed with both the love and the worry my friend East Oakland creates within me.

This September will mark 13 years of my love affair this this community. I am what one might call a "relocator" . I moved here from a city called Ann Arbor...a safe college town known for being a liberal safe Midwestern town with more diversity than most of it's surrounding cities. However most folks there surround themselves with friends who look just like them and live just like them. (what a waste of diversity if you ask me! But you didn't...so shhhhhh Jaime! )

I moved here to do a one year urban volunteer program (Mission Year- look it up, www.missionyear.org). About three months into a year of service and learning about justice, I knew this place was home.

I hear others talk about my friend East Oakland with fear,even disgust, but most often its just with misunderstanding. It's an "outsiders looking in perspective". My perspective it that too...no matter how long I live in East Oakland I will never be from here. I will be Jaime Taylor, a Midwestern daughter of a factory worker and mother who did various jobs but shines working with alzheimer's patients.  I will be Jaime Taylor the girl who loved ballet but was too awkward for it. Jaime Taylor who has to watch other people clapping in order to clap on beat . Jaime who loves photographing people.  I will be Jaime Taylor a progressive Christian from Christian parents who give everything they can to love people around them. I will be Jaime Taylor a girl who grew up around a lot of mean rich folks but wasn't rich herself. Wait a second...I was and am rich. I have always had my basic needs met, I was blessed with a parents who put my needs before theirs...I have always been surrounded by laughter and down to earth people who knew brand clothes and fancy things didn't define a life well lived. I have always been surrounded by folks who make you better just by being near them.  Forgive my language....but DAMN I'm rich.

Anyways...I'm still rich living here. No I can't pay all my bills every month, and I have no health insurance...but I am surrounded my strong down to earth people who allow me the privilege of living INSIDE their East Oakland and they take care of me as though I was born here. I am blessed to walk alongside youth each day who share their worlds with me and love me as though we are blood related. I am blessed with neighbors who are spicy, dramatic and full of life...and FULL OF COURAGE. They endure but still laugh and celebrate. 

I live where all the crazy stuff you hear about happens too...but I see with the eyes of a friend, watching her friend go through ups and downs. I am on this ride with my friend. I hope that this is they perspective of East Oakland I bring to this blog.

Here is my first rambling blog...probably has typos and errors that will bug you. No worries...that won't change. :) Happy Thursday.