Born To Be Miserable

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Our Current Neighborhood - "The Motel One" - E. Main Street - Columbus, Ohio (east side)

Q. What is a neighborhood or community?
*****************************************************
"The Cats in a Cradle":
Friends in a room in a neighborhood.

A.   A neighborhood or community is  an area                 where  a group of people live, eat,                          do  business,  socialize and shop.

The Motel One, 3190 E Main Street, Whitehall, Ohio satisfies the definition of "What is a neighborhood or community?" I have lived there for over a year with my fiance. Our neighborhood is transient. People come in and leave the neighborhood on a regular basis.

For instance, yesterday, three pieces of overstuffed luggage, which was mix matched, was placed outside on the sidewalk of "The Motel One". Either someone was not able to pay their rent, or 'disappeared'. Everyone who lives there has the same type of "home". The "homes" are not prefab homes but are almost exactly alike, yet some homes or rooms have more square feet than others.


All residents of The Motel One get one window, (which can open and shut, to let air in), one front door, one television set, with cable hookup. The Hispanic close captioning that does not match television shows, for instance "The Letterman Show", appears onscreen at times especially at night and is a 'bonus'. No one has a lawnmower, so there are no fights over lawn equipment and not returning tools or garden equipment to neighbors. There is not a lot of any one kind of person there. but the Motel One is a step up or step out of poverty type of facility. Sometimes it takes longer than other times to be able to leave.


During the time I have been there, I received as a gift from my fiance, a pot of tulips. They were great at the time, but died, so the bulbs were planted outside in a row. This is the area where birds, (mostly sparrows), squirrels, blackbirds, a rabbit or two, and a few other animals are fed on


a daily basis by me. Since I go through the sandwich line at Holy Rosary Church, Fifth Avenue, in the downtown hub area several times during the week, I have more than enough bread to break into pieces to throw outside with a prayer in the morning: "Bless the creatures of the earth - Great and small, and in them give thanks and praise." I have noticed that the sparrows, who used to be thin, frail and 'greasy' looking with 'greased down feathers now are plump, happier, and not longer fight over the same small crumb of bread which is there to be eaten by them. I also saw a rare white or albino squirrel in that area. The animals are great and are happy to be there, although "The Motel One" has a 'no pets' policy. Last year, someone dropped off a kitten. The small grey striped kitten was the community pet, and did not really stay in any one room but was not there for very long for 'some reason'.


One day, as I was standing outside, I heard a couple who live there, an attractive black couple talking to one another.


"Wow - look at that man over there".


"What man?"


"The man with his face buried in the trash dumpster. The white man who just jumped in. He shows up here every day, always with a cart to sort out the tin cans from the trash dumpster.


He would be fun to interview."


"But he is not a neighbor here." Just a 'trash collector' - a WHITE trash collector.


"The man", who has no name, is there daily during the week, between 9:00 am and 11:00 am with his own metal shopping cart. He sorts out trash from the trash dumpster. From listening to the conversation of the black couple, one would think that they never saw a white man who was


a business entrepreneur before.


A small tan dog was found in the street in front of the Motel One last week, also. Awwww.


He should have known better than to cross the street. Crooks aren't happy about people who want out of bad situations or want to advance or to attain more education unless it is by racketeering.


This is a replication of something that occurred in Wooster, Ohio. Our did Ginger, who we had for many years was found dead in the middle of the road in front of our house at 1785 Akron Road, Wooster, Ohio, another fine 'neighborhood' , where crooks thought it was great fun to rip off my police check and then claim that I was crazy. Ginger was larger than this sad small tan dog but this is an example of 'downsizing to the crooks. This also, is part of Ohio's culture - the American Nazi party; hate group activity, and bullying. I can hardly wait to leave this 'fine' neighborhood and Ohio, but am thankful to my fiance for providing the room, because my relatives, the state of Ohio, and others were not assistive in any way. In fact, the dirty court system in Wooster, Ohio may have caused the abuse which led to homelessness, poverty, and not being able to find a job because "I" the scapegoat in this supposedly caused this.


To Launch Spring, someone fired a gun outside and across the street from "The Motel One". Last week, there was a shooting up the street, near Shawn's convenience store, a store owned by a man who claims he is from Lebanon, who greets certain customers of his store by tapping a black stick, held in one hand, in the palm of the other hand. He has other foreign friends working there also. They are complex and wordy in their own "languaged" ways, but "outsiders" cannot understand what is being said.


The Motel One also has its own restaurant - Chasi's Place. Every day, winter, spring, summer, and fall, neighbors can smell home made barbecue being made on an outdoor, black barrel, fired up grill. Chasi's would do better if they adjusted their prices down a bit to compensate for poverty, but they have been open for over a year in one corner of the Motel One parking lot, in a formerly abandoned old building which has been remodeled inside and outside and has "new life".


There are interesting stores around within walking distance of all kinds. There is even a large waste of taxpayer dollars within view - a long telephone pole with a speaker on it. The speaker is rarely used, and it is outside of the wire fence that surrounds the local BP - at the corner of E. Main Street and James Road. The speaker from time to time rotates around the pole, and the voice of a white man says, "testing, testing". Sometimes the speaker is used to sound the noon whistle, but not every day. Neighbors can't understand why the pole and speaker is there in that location, or who owns it, but claim that it had to cost someone a lot of money.


The BP station on the corner is privately owned by Engfield Oil. Engfield Oil owns only one gas station - that one. The gas station is always busy, and has friendly staff that works there. A story could be written about everyone who works there.


May 9, 2010


HAPPY MOTHERS DAY


Today is Mothers Day. The Motel One "Rose Garden", which is apparent in the treelawned areas of Motel One, will have a new addition. A Miniature pink rose plant.

Dear Democracy NOW!.....


                                                                                    May 12, 2010





submissionFirst Person




3190 E Main Street #59


Whitehall, Ohio  
43213


April 1, 2010


 


Mary Lynn Plageman


Managing Editor, “Features”


The Dispatch


34 S. 3rd Street


Columbus, Ohio  43215


 


Dear Ms. Plageman,


 


     I am submitting the enclosed article for
your perusal for “First Person”.


I really did have a German pen while in high school
and I think that others will be able to relate to the “perfectionism”
exhibited in this article.  My article is exactly 700 words long
as per your specs.  The 700 words include the title.  By the
way, I also draw a Cartoon Strip called “Cartoon City”
which I am trying to sell and/or get published. 


 


                                                    
Regards,


 


 


 


                                         class="Normal__Char">Kimberly Koerber-Bauer-Koerber


                                                class="Hyperlink__Char">CartoonCity@graffiti.net


                                                 class="Hyperlink__Char">kkimberly@ymail.com


                                                   
(206) 203-4349


 


 


P.S. – the above letter and the attached article
submission were sent by mail yesterday – March 31, 2010.  class="Normal__Char">J













Musings of the past




                                                class="Normal__Char">Musings of
the past: 1974


 


“Hello, Susanna Vogt from Hamburg, West Germany. 
I am glad to be your pen pal from the United States.  My name is
Kimberly Koerber, and my nickname is Kim.  I am glad to have found
your name as a correspondent from West Germany.  I understand you
are a high school student also.  I am in some high school honors
classes, work at a local grocery store here in Medina called “Buehler’s
Fresher Foods” after school, am the editor of my high school paper
“The Medinamite”, am on the the tennis team and am part of ski club,
chorus, other clubs and organizations and I take piano lessons. 
I try really hard but am never “the best”.  I have a “B”
average because I flunked out of “French I” since I had no time
to memorize verb conjugations.  I exercise in my room every day
and am on the “Olympic Ski Team” diet from time to time which consists
of tea, canned spinach, 2 hard boiled eggs and one half to a grapefruit
a day but can’t seem to get my weight below 150 pounds.  I am
5’8” tall and at 150 lbs am still too hefty according to the weight
charts.  My boyfriend goes to Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland,
Ohio and is a son of one of my dad’s business customers.  I see
him one day a week, but write to him also.  My boyfriend jumped
a year and is supposed to graduate from high school at 16.  He
will be in college when I am still in high school, and works for Gold
Circle Stores.  My parents aren’t mean, but they are too busy
for me, and they like my sister better.  She doesn’t have to
go to school or work and works out and runs instead or going to high
school every day because she wants to be a Gold Medal Olympics winner. 
She is also a cheerleader and is friends with a small group of people
only.  No matter what I do, I am never okay to myself, so on Sundays,I
am one of the acolytes at St. James Episcopal church here in Medina,
Ohio.  I feel sad and depressed a lot but I am not sure why. 
Because I feel sad, I go to my room and listen to music and write about
all kinds of things.  Writing seems to help me feel better. 
I would like to go to college and am thinking about Ohio University
in Athens, Ohio because they have a great school of Journalism there. 
I would like to write for a living, but don’t know if I can. 
It’s hard to imagine doing what I like, and what makes me feel better
and getting paid for it also.  My sister Cheryl and I started taking
piano lessons together, but she dropped out.  Now, because my dad
gets irritated over the piano being played at home, I practice at school
in the practice room during study halls.  I also draw but am not
really “the best” there either.  My last name is German. 
My dad is in professional sales and is trying to open a graphic arts
company with a sales contact from Rubbermaid in Wooster, Ohio. 
My mother does not work, is not happy, and I have no idea what she does
all day.  My mother bleaches her hair blonde.  We are NOT Jews. “


     I know that you, Susanna
live in Hamburg, West Germany which sounds much more interesting than
my life here in the United States.  I think that you are very intelligent. 
I have noticed that from time to time your sentences are not composed
properly, but I could not think of writing to anyone in German or in
any other language. My best friend, Linda Penn, is in “German II”
now, and speaks German and English.  She and you are much smarter
than I ever thought of being.  I better go now, but hope to hear
from you soon.


                                                      
Regards,


 


                                                     
Kimberly


P.S. – My mother said to ask you if “hamburgers”
were originated in “Hamburg, West Germany”. (ha-ha-ha)













Episcopal/Anglican Church Shield in blue

Episcopal/Anglican Church Shield in blue
"I have been a member of the Episcopal Church all of my life"

About Me

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Hello! I am a Social Worker (since 1990) and a writer. I am seeking writing jobs, funding for my Writing business called "the Indigo Drum" and a way to run an office again, plus a car.