Standing on Eviction

His grandmother told him he grows a little each night, so every morning now he wants his growth charted on the jamb between the kitchen and living room.

This morning he put up his own marks and I had to scold him for it.

Children really don’t grow a little each night, I don’t think, and besides, we don’t own this apartment – we’re only renting.

I spent the walk to school explaining what would happen if we didn’t pay our rent each month. I went through the process of eviction as well as I know it. He seemed comforted when I told you have a few weeks or months after you are issued a notice of eviction to move out.

But I just looked into it apparently it only takes three days to kick a person out of his apartment. I guess I’ll share that news with him tonight. I try to be honest with him, not shield him from reality.

Student gunmen, sexual predators, wars on terror, global warming, escalated incidences of asthma and cancer among New Yorkers – you got to keep it real.

But with all the bad, there’s the undeniable beauty of the city we live. Even a trip to the movies can be awe inspiring.