BACK IN THE 'HOOD

"I have pretty feet," she announced in a way to display them. Most would have agreed.

I couldn't tell. I was too preoccupied with the neighborhood I grew up in. A violent neighborhood. As violent as the names of its residents.

Try these on for size. Huntman, Archer, Shields, Lashbrook, Hunt, Baumgardner (Bombgardner), Vaught (Faught), Overturf, Hoxie, Torregrossa, Rhinebach, Igo, Hugo (to war).

And she thought I had time. She thought I would care about her feet. When I was just trying to survive.