Day 28

today's adventure: the library.

i finally asked some natives where the public library was located. the described bearings seemed in close proximity to my apartment, so i innocently inquired, "so, i can walk there?".

"NO! you cannot walk there!"

slightly taken aback, i sought more information. the explanations boiled down to one thing; the library is located in a bad neighborhood. shifty characters live around there. i could sit in my car and watch drug deals from the library parking lot.

sounded a bit like westwood. home. sniff.

so i came home today, fully prepared to change, hop back in my car and cruise four blocks to the public library. the more i thought about it, the less i could justify driving such a short distance when i am perfectly capable of walking it. i reasoned that if i started to feel unsafe, i would simply turn around and walk back.

so i set out through the streets of chillicothe, which are fairly desolate at 5:30 in the afternoon. i walk past the courthouse, city hall, and all these amazing "greek revival style" houses (example). i begin wondering when the neighborhood turns bad.

i see a guy wearing a wife beater. obviously the presence of a k-fed style wife beater indicates i am treading on dangerous, corrupt lands.

suddenly, i have arrived at the library. i go in, the super sweet librarian issues me a chillicothe-ross county library card. i check out three books and a dvd and i walk home. end of story. i saw no drug dealers. i was not offered the opportunity to use sex to buy heroin. there wasn't even a cop on duty in the library. at least we've got that in westwood.

isn't all that build up disappointing? i am really curious how chillicotheans would react to cincinnati. afterall, otr is the most dangerous neighborhood in the u.s.