Call it pride of place, but I adore my neighborhood. It's not really about this particular location though, because this spot has some of the same things you'd see in any post-industrial city (it is special having four large city parks and a beautiful riverfront all within blocks of home to be fair).
For me, it's really a pride of people, as they're what make this place unique - what it was, is, and will be. As I see it, to live in and be a part of this Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood is to continue building upon a truly global community - a community of myriad peoples, customs, and voices that have mingled over the years to create a rich, vibrant chorus.
I can't help but visualize the people of this neighborhood chorus when I listen to the group Pistolera. I see my great grandfather Andrzej coming home from a long day at the Pillsbury A Mill many decades ago, taking off his dusty boots and grabbing my great grandmother Aniela, dancing in circles to an oberek in their small home - just a few blocks from where my family is now. I think of our neighbor Luis, and the constant cumbias emanating from the garage while he wrenches on that old minivan or chases the kids around the backyard. I envision my daughter, years from now, practicing her trumpet in preparation for that all-important first band concert. Her parents retreat to the backyard in order to (avoid the din and) watch the setting sun envelop the buildings of the nearby rail yard with a blood-orange glow.
Yeah, I might be overly romantic about my neighborhood. But I'm certain you share a similar love of your spot and you've got a soundtrack to match. Maybe we can swap tracks and stories sometime soon. Until then, enjoy Pistolera's Eres Tú!
Props to K-dog for introducing me to Pistolera and to the one JAS for the inspiration.
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