2018, Mirror Image Edutainment, Alan John Mayer
Thunder roared from the sky, sending off several car alarms on the street. I know that sound, I thought, it’s the Assistant manager come to terrorize the old neighborhood, just when I thought it was safe to leave, and do a load of laundry in the smelly hallway outside my door. I went about my business. It seemed it would be a peaceful Saturday morning. Indeed, it was, until I saw the monster get off his bike outside my living room window. He must be coming just to remind us what a powerful man he is, I thought.
He pulled off his sunglasses and bandana.
Pokey began barking. For reasons I can understand, he wants to attack. “Stop barking” I yell at the confused puppy. Later I apologize to him.
“I know why you bark, but hold it back” I said “Just because they are nasty does not mean you need to be nasty”. The puppy cocked his head. If Pokey were to see the apartment manager on the street, it’s understandable he would bark at the sickly looking villain with the black fingernails, cracked, and missing yellowed teeth. The man breaks every landlord rule in the book, arriving unannounced at my door several times monthly, (for nearly seven years now on Barton Street in Hollywood) for one reason or another, never giving advance notice, as required by law. But who cares about laws in Los Angeles, unless breaking them can line the state coffers, like Colorado is now experiencing. And in this 2018 update from Aurora Colorado post Carson Street, Colorado is even worse for tenants. No rights, not even heat.
This is only one of many landlords hatched of this mold.
Wouldn’t you know it, just when it seemed safe to go outside and tend to my business, this last week before I move out, there he is. You cannot allow this miserable malcontent to spoil your peace of mind, this meth addict. Half an hour later the vacuuming outside my door stops. In a couple of minutes, as long as it takes to roll up the cord, the sound of fury should rise again in the sound of his Harley Davidson with the skull and crossbones black white flag, alarm the neighborhood again, and it will be over soon. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes the motorcycle outside my window blew up a storm, and rode off, setting off three car alarms in the process.
Thank God that annoyance is over, for another two weeks until I move, I thought. Saturday is the busiest day of the week for sex workers, so the transexual stripper downstairs is bound to be gone most of the night, another blessing in drag.
I stepped outside my door to retrieve my clothes from the dryer in the corridor downstairs. Yuck, he touched my door mat, probably looked under it to see if he could hide. Next time I do laundry I won’t – oh wait, I forgot. I won’t be here next time I do laundry. May the blessings never stop. How nice. That nasty man has led me to prayer.
There is one life.
This life is God.
This life is perfect.
This life is my life now.
I have my peace today because I say I do.
I know this is the truth because I make the choice to experience peace.
I accept my blessings.
I give thanks, Lord, make me even grateful.
I release my word, knowing my thoughts return to me multiplied.
And so it is.
Amen.
AmerIcanValuesRestored 