ADAPTability in "the Ridge"

 Walking these streets alongside strangers everyday

 Little kids playing catch on the sidewalk in front of their stoop

 Middle-aged women sitting on a bench smoking Capris sharing their usual rant 'what is it with these  people, are you freaking kiddin' me?' with their thick brash Brooklyn accents

 Muslim women wearing their coverings and pushin' strollers with a careful eye

 Troubled Irish veterans sitting in the pub getting their usual 'pint' on the 11 o'clock hour (in the  morning that is) 

 And then there's me, a euro 'blended' woman strolling by the storefront windows wondering why so  many stores are FOR RENT....change is a comin' quick! Please no high-rise greed or else!!

 You have the pizzeria on the corner, and a Mediterranean deli on the same side

 Many times I've seen a butcher cross the street with a cow carcass over his shoulder as if it were a  duffle bag, that's surely an unsettling sight

 American flags soaring in front of the 'old breukelen' brick homes, and Greek stars shown proudly  from the windows of their neighbors

 We live in this city with a requirement to ADAPT

 Strong cultures immerse us, and brash judgments may come to surface 

 It's up to you to fathom the idea that you will be sharing the same unpredictable environment

 If you plan on livin' here KNOW that you will face diversity on a daily basis

We breathe the same air, share the same laundromats, eat at the same restaurants and live for the same goal of ADAPTABILITY....yes, you will have strong opposition with some and angry faces on others but as a community, you must own the right to get along for the sake of the long-standing and cherished area...

Oh Bay Ridge, you were in my life way before I saw day 1. I adore all of your perfections, and imperfections that my great relatives once lived as well.