Only White Chick in the 'Hood

Today my patient calls took me into a part of town that could reasonably be compared to Cabrini Green. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cabrini Green, it is a large urban housing project/neighborhood in Chicago that is infamous for high crime. On any given day, my caseload takes me into some pretty rough neighborhoods, areas of town that quite frankly, most people avoid unless they actually live there. Today I covered an area of town new to me, and was so deep into the 'hood that even I was surprised. After about 30 minutes of driving, following my GPS deeper and deeper, I finally approached a huge apartment complex, much of which was being re-built. People were randomly milling about, children, teenagers, older people. The day had turned muggy, a preview of the sort of weather for which Atlanta is famous: hot, humid, sticky. These are the places on the evening news, the places suburban America shakes their heads about, are afraid to drive through, and have opinions about without ever having been there. These are my patients, their families, their homes, and here what I would like to say about it.

Wherever I go, I am treated with respect, kindness, and gratitude for my services. I am greeted, pointed in the right direction, and given the best (and sometimes only) seat in the house. People are sometimes a little amused I am there, small white chick with a medical bag rattling around alone in the big ol' hood. Tiny children run up to me and want to touch me, older women call out, "You lost, baby?" They notice, they care, and you know you have made a little connection when they call you "Baby" and introduce you around. Doors are open, life is in the street because it is too hot to stay in the very small apartments. And while I am by no means naive or unaware of some of the business going on around me, I have never felt unwelcome or unsafe. I wish more people could see the good I see in these neighborhoods, the good people. Perfect? No. Good, much. A friend I was talking to the other day explained it this way: "You're like the fire department. You're the good guys." Maybe so. I hope so. I like being a good guy.