A Moment of Fear and Loathing in D.C.

Since moving to D.C. last August, I have come to adore my northwest neighborhood of Kalorama. You could say I am quite attached to my little apartment, my short commute to the Dupont metro station, and the convenient shops & parks in walking distance to my home. It's all quite idyllic. While a "happy little life" might not be what everyone aspires to, I have to admit, it is what I want. Unfortunately, attaining that kind of existence requires a certain amount of, let's say, obliviousness. Or, maybe denial. Or, naiveté.
I was getting it down, until last Sunday night when a young man was robbed and shot just around the corner from my apartment, and just about a 100 yards from where I was standing with Josie. My first thought when this happened was, "Run away!" But I got involved when I was one of a few witnesses that saw the get-away vehicle screech right by us.
Witnessing a violent crime has a way of shaking the naiveté right out of a person. I immediately felt fear threaten my attachment to my neighborhood. And I have definitely lost my fresh city-mouse innocence, as I'm sure happens at some point to most city-dwellers.
Initially, I thought, it is time to move--like, now. But, a few days have passed and a little perspective offered by friends and family members has helped me to deal with this new reality in my life. Most importantly, I have come to accept that bad things happen, not just in cities, but everywhere. It's a scary, unfortunate part of life. My sister, Myra really brought this into focus for me. I was telling her that I used to feel safe in my neighborhood. "Em," she said, "I used to feel safe at Virginia Tech." Oh yeah, me too.
Also, I've realized that a big city does not necessarily mean higher crime. A big city means more people living in close proximity to each other and a higher chance that the bad things that happen will be witnessed by more people. And that is what happened on for me on Sunday night.
On a good note, the 22 year old exchange student who was shot is expected to make a full recovery. I think this fact is playing a big role in my ability to deal with this awful experience.
So, life goes on, and I will go on loving my D.C. neighborhood, with perhaps a new measure of street smarts and a little less obliviousness.