The Pigtowner

When Oprah was asked whether or not she would help Baltimore City Schools, her response was disappointing.  “What I’ve learned from my philanthropic giving is that unless you can create sustainable change, then it’s a waste, you might as well pee on it,” Oprah said. “Absolutely I thought about it, but I thought about it within the context of what can I do? What should be done? What can be done? But it isn’t one person’s problems.”

She decided to start an all-girl’s school in Africa, which was later tarnished with news of abuse.  I don’t blame her for not wanting to give to a school system that has problems that stem from a dysfunctional urban culture, but I hope that she does give Baltimore City a second chance and donate to the SEED Project here.  I also wonder how Jenna Bush will fair if she does start teaching there.

(If you don’t know what the SEED Project is and are too lazy to click on the link, it’s a public boarding school.  In fact, there are only two of them in the country– one in DC and one that is scheduled to open this August in Southwest Baltimore.  It’s not specific to Baltimore, it’s called the SEED School of Maryland, but let’s be honest here:  it’s for Baltimore City.)

Honestly, I’m thrilled Jenna and Henry have moved to Baltimore because I am hoping that she will teach in the city.  I hope she’ll help bring the city more funding to improve the public schools here.  I don’t just want it for the kids, I (selfishly) want it for my potential kids.  I want to be able to have a sustainable life here.   I think she does too, because she decided to live where her husband got a job, instead of in the suburbs, and she is looking for a job in the area.  And if she does teach in the city, she will change her reputation as a socialite to that of a philanthropist.  (Her book did a little of that already.) 

I’m hoping that all of this will help the city and from what I can tell, I think all of us are welcome to any and all help we can get for city youth.   With all of the school violence that has been in the news, we need change the root of the problem.  Even if it’s only a few kids at a time.

I was reading this article in the Baltimore Sun about the new crabbing restrictions.  I’m happy that we’re doing it, for the sake of the crab population, but I really doubt that this restriction is going to result in an unlimited supply of crabs in the future.  For one simple reason:  we eat crabs by the bushel.

Having lived in MD for the past 20+ years, I’ve experienced the ridiculous (and delicious) way we eat crabs here– as if they’re the entirety of the meal instead of a small portion of it.  Crabs are served with beer, a little cornbread, and more crabs.  I daydream about how this culture evolved, crabs being the insects of the sea turned into a intrinsic way of life for the DELMARVA region.  How people learned not to eat the gills, how Old Bay seasoning became a staple in every kitchen, and how the Fourth of July meant more crabs with more beer and fireworks.   And then I think about how I was raised to eat crabs.

My mother never bought more than a dozen crabs at one time, to saute with soy, scallions, and ginger and serve with other dishes.   Crabs were the special treat of my childhood, because I knew each time my mother made it she would distress about cleaning and killing the crustaceans.  She cracked each one open, removed the gills, and cry if they were still moving.  Crabs meant killing twelve little creatures by hand for tasty goodness.  It meant we ate every little morsel of meat and mustard. 

The way true DELMARVA folk eat crabs is completely different– kill them all at once, in a giant pot so that you don’t have to kill them individually.   Eat them as the major component of the meal.  Eat them until you get sick.

In order to save the Chesapeake Blue Crab, we have to change our culture.  We have to support crabbers change their lifestyle to do something else, such that they can support their families.  We have to change the way we eat crabs.  (In general, we have to eat less, but that’s a different story altogether.)   We have to embrace change for the bigger picture.

(Ironically, I’m stating this and tonight I’m going to a function at Phillips.  I think I’ll have to stick to the vegetarian entrees, if there are any.)

I’ve been thinking about doing a yard sale to remove some of the stuff that’s in my house.  You know, perfectly good furniture, clothing, and electronics that I have no intention of using again.  I had posted an email on the Pigtown Land Use Forum and I got a response back about a Yard Sale the Southwest Baltimore Charter School is having this Saturday from 8am to noon.

I’m really excited about this, but I can’t go.  So I’ve donated some stuff already and hopefully all of you who read this will also donate stuff too.  Or go there to buy stuff.

Oh Roland Park peeps.  I love your gorgeous buildings, but my neighborhood association is the shizzit compared to yours.

The husband and I were invited to a cocktail party this past weekend, to celebrate the end of classes and the end of work (long story).   This cocktail party was being thrown by one of my former co-workers and I was excited because I knew he lived in a three story rowhome in Roland Park.  I was eager to see his home and I wasn’t disappointed– it was gorgeous! 

We met some really cool people that night and during one of my tipsy conversations, we started talking about recycling in the city.   The general statements of “The city recycles all plastics:  1 through 9!  That’s unheard of in the county!”  and “Single stream makes it so much easier!” came up and then someone mentioned how difficult it was to get the yellow bins.  Of course, in my tipsy state, I mentionned how Citizens of Pigtown somehow organized to get bins and trash cans to give to the residents.  They were dumbfounded.

“Wait… they just give them away?  Seriously?  I just pay dues to my community association and we don’t get anything for free.”

So take that Roland Park!  You have a less crime-infested neighborhood with better schools but we have a community association that does stuff!  And gives stuff out!   And soon we’ll have a blogger that will write all about it!