Field Report :) Tough lessons in the sobering world of self employment.

Here's what happens when you settle yourself down in the middle of an urban area a little overrun with drug addiction and prostitution for cheap rent, and rather than fear and protect yourself "from" - you instead choose to love and embrace the natives - give them trust and they begin to see you as trust worthy. 

You have a woman who yelled at you in the middle of the night about her Osprey and the rats. And you tred to tell her you KNOW. You are sitting on $500 worth of unused rat poison and run between buildings tiptoeing after dark because rats make you jump like a little girl and screech like one too - BECAUSE you know about the Osprey and her babies that feed on those rats. But she doesn't believe you know until you scream at her and say come back tomorrow. I WANT to talk to you but I am TIRED and ANGRY. You call each other HORRID names polite people do not, then say I'll see you then, and THANK YOU at the top of your lungs. 

BTW - you appear insane to the normal world. But THIS world is NOT normal. It is, however, chock full of the most loving, courageous, tortured people you will ever meet carrying unbearable pain that would shatter most ordinary people. 

Two days later that same woman tells you through a drunken fog. "XXXXXXX XXXXX" is my real name, my social security number is on file and secure. Please remember it. If you see XXXXX tell her I love her and goodbye. I didn't abandon her" then she walks away yelling curse words and you fear you'll never see her again, cry an angry tear of utter frustration and pray very VERY hard (which you never did in your adult life prior) because you KNOW she's telling the truth and there's NOTHING you can do for her BUT remember her and deliver that message. 

She appears INSANE. You FEEL INSANE in that moment of absolute sorrow and certainty. 

But after 4 short months, I can assure you (and I am of a very sound and waaaay too sober mind) she is NOT insane. She is very DRUNK, but that is the only way she can survive her very REAL terror in the moment. 

I am well aware I sound COMPLETELY INSANE and you may have been noticing strange and profanity laced posts from me as of late thinking I've lost my grip on reality. 

 I have a very tight grasp on it and for the folks in this neighborhood many of which are now legally non-existent, reality is NOT pretty or SIMPLE- hence their drugs to cope with it. This is my most spectacularly brilliant failure yet at an utterly surprising speed. I'm getting better at this process, I'll master the art of "Failing Fast to Perfection" . ;)

All THAT being said, PRAGMATICALLY this is actually a fantastic location for business folks if they can chill out about the locals - straight shot to the airport and downtown and copious secure parking.

But here's a local guides recommendation:

Don't fear and hate, try to understand and embrace instead and suddenly the world becomes frightening and beautiful simultaneously at an epic level and miraculously the font choice and page count on your electronic resume seem like the most trivial things anyone has ever discussed.

PS don't worry about the rats they only come out for food after dark.