Granted, Nads is a nutcase, as is the rest of the DUmp. but day-umn, there is a piece of me that feels sorry for the hood rats. Those at the DUmp have never done anything good for anybody.
I was a street urchin, once upon a time, and I hitchhiked out of there. I wonder what the difference between me and anyone else who doesn't like the life there is?
I feel like throwing them a rope and yelling "Come on! Grab hold! You can live a better life!" But they don't. I've sponsored a couple kids, and I'm only at 50% success rate.
And that took a couple run ins with the cops, which I let them go through. Never offered to help on those deals. Actually, both the young guys are doing okay now. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, kind of.
I had some of the kids' family out. One of the younger ones saw me making pancakes and just laughed and laughed. "She thinks she can make pancakes! Don't they got no stores out here?" The older brother came in and showed off his ability to flip them in a pan. That took a lot of practice for him with half and dozen rubbery old pancakes one day.
They don't know nothin' when they leave the hood.
Anyway, I have a soft spot in my heart with a big wall around it, for people who live there.