I lived in this apartment (among many other places) as a kid. 4th window over. A lot of firsts. Some good, some not.
This is the apartment I moved after my mom’s second divorce.
Where I first saw what alcohol layered on top of instability looked like after she started dating her future third husband.
Where I started to have to grow up faster than a kid should and went on to become the oldest of 7 in that chaos.
But it’s also where I sat on my bed for hours, and learned to spin a basketball on my finger.
Where I first heard Snoop and Gin & Juice.
Where I’d walk to school and all my friends started singing a new song, Baby Got Back.
Where I was when Home Alone first came out.
Where I built a makeshift bench press out of wood in the complex’s basement boiler room.
Where one of the largest men I’d ever personally met, and his name was “Tiny,” was the first juxtaposition I ever learned.
He would sit in his El Camino and smoke cigarettes for hours.
He’d also spend hours blaring music, front door open, sitting on a recliner. And he’d let me listen to records with him sometimes.
One day he fell asleep on his bed smoking while the shower was also on.
I know because out concern of a smoke detector that wouldn’t stop, I knocked on his door.
No answer.
Knocked again, louder.
No answer.
Cracked the door, loud music, cigarette smoke, rolling steam from a running shower.
Found him passed out on his bed, hole burned in his mattress from the cigarette.
He was fine. Looking back, he was probably passed out drunk.
Such an intimidating guy, but always so welcoming to a little elementary kid.
He was always showing me music.
This apartment was where I was when they announced Kurt Cobain died.
I ran upstairs and told another older guy that was always cool to me. Probably mid-20’s. He couldn’t believe what I told him.
That guy also shared a lot of music with me. He introduced me to Sound Garden.
Around the time of this apartment I was also introduced to Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Violent Femmes, Jane’s Addiction and Tool.
Where I met some of my childhood best friends, and picked up skateboarding.
The older I get the more grateful I am for the kid version before me and what they endured to allow me to have such an amazing life now.
It’s allowed me the last few years to start to “remember” way more of the positive, and thank the negative for its place that served its purpose to shape me, but is no longer needed.
