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Sunday, June 21, 2009

"Tales from 14th Street" Quick flashbacks

"Tales from 14th Street" Is a look back at childhood days living in San Pedro California. I will share the fun and not so fun adventures of living in the hood during the 80's and early 90's. If anybody grew up in this area during that time please email or comment anytime and share your stories or thoughts.



It was around 1993, and I specifically remember walking out of the apartment I lived in on 14th street, and walking a few steps towards the alley, I remember seeing a girl about 18 years old huffing paint. I remember her near the window near the entrance of the alley. She was bent over huffing blue paint in a paper bag. I was watching her along with a few other kids. She did not seem to mind us so much, but for some odd reason I never have forgotten that image. Kids are not as dumb as they look and I knew what she was doing was wrong. I do not remember the girl much, but I know she hung out with the neighbors a few doors down. Our neighbors was an older guy named " Caps" and his girlfriend plus two kids. He was actually from a different neighborhood, but for some reason he was accepted in the mix with the local gangsters. He did seem so much older to me at the time, but now that I think about it he must of only have been in his late twenties if that. His little phase on 14th street was pretty ruthless, and a constant party.
Now does anybody even huff paint these days? that is really a funny concept to hear about nowadays, what a crazy trend.
Alley where it all went down.

Now rewinding back to 1990. The local gang Young Crowd loved to party in the back of the apartments. I mean they were deep back there! and they partied all night long! I was the unfortunate one to have to sleep in the back room with my parents next to all the noise. I was always scared they were going to break into our house through my window. I would sometimes lay there listening for hours at their many conversations. They always seemed to bump oldies, and this specific oldie will always remind me of them partying in the back.

The first window on the right was my parents and my bedroom. The gangsters partied all through this back part, including the basement below.

This oldie by Don Julian and the Larks always stood out. I think they bumped this towards the end of the night =)

8 comments:

MakeOne, The Love Man said...

Ha - this is dope.

I never sniffed spray paint or even glue or thinner for that matter. I was always afraid of what it would do to my brain. It may have been trendy or appeared to have been trendy during those times but I think it was more of it being easily accessible. You know? - you'd either rack the can from a local Chief Auto Parts, Art Store or even local auto body shop.

I think drugs now-a-days are more accessible than those things. So kids are more drawn to real drugs unless they are dead broke and extremely naive.

I remember cats I would hang with back then would drink Nyquil or cough syrups to get drunk. Some wiold sniff paint since it was seen in Boulevard Nights.

I once knew this one guy in Mexico, casue this stuff is mad big down there, who would sniff thinner, cement glue and other solvents. He would buy what is called estopa which is shredded threads used for cleaning. he would dip a handful of it in these solvents and sniff it all day. He sadly later went coocoo. That also opened my eyes to those kinds of things and never wished to do it.

man...there was glue, nail polish, liquid paper...I just used to think it was lame and i guess when my friends would do it in school and stuff and see how the paint would stain their lips...i did not want my teachers or parents finding out I guess.

Anyhow - that is a dope little story. I remember seeing stuff like that too. I mean i didn't experience it at my window LOL - but yeah stuff like that is embedded in my mind too.

BTW - that is the jam right there.

Doña Junta said...

@ Make.....Yes for some reason huffing shit is popular in Mexico and Central and South America. I guess you could say poor countries. I remember hearing about that with kids over there. that is sad about your friend how did he end up acting?That is why I never got into drugs the effects are irreversable sometimes.

Doña Junta said...

@ Make.....Yes for some reason huffing shit is popular in Mexico and Central and South America. I guess you could say poor countries. I remember hearing about that with kids over there. that is sad about your friend how did he end up acting?That is why I never got into drugs the effects are irreversable sometimes.

Refried Dreamer said...

Damn those Cholos! ;P hehe... things were different back in the early 90's.

Nowadays...we don't huff, we PUFF!

btw.... Thought of your last post & I bought Wonder bread from the market today. Yummm.....

Doña Junta said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Doña Junta said...

@ Refriend Dreamer, but did you find Weber bread?? lol that would of been dope!

MakeOne, The Love Man said...

@ Dona Junta - well my homie just began spazzing out - being all paranoid and also hallucinating. He would even hallucinate when he was not on it. He would laugh and random things and also out of nowhere just crack up. He also would speak incoherently and say really abstract stuff.

It was sad cuz he was such a cool guy. this all happened when I lived in mexico working in an ink manufacturing spot. since we had thinner and all this solvents he was on it all the time.

This last time I went to Mexico, last year, I'd occasionally see kids and even adults just lost on that stuff. roaming the streets - reminds always of Xavier (that was his name). I even went to the hood he used to live in to see if i would find him...no luck - he may have passed away or something.

but yeah...it often found more in poor countries. sad and it is also one of the reason i never got in to drugs and stuff like that either.

Miss Pauline said...

damnhuffing paint? thats crazy lol... we used to inhale air freshners as stupid little kids and put towels over it..fucking wierd!! haha crazy tho. I also remember kids fainting eachother in junior high. its just easy for young people right