When Your Neighbors Think You’re Moving Weight
People don’t see a teacher on a summer-break schedule — they see someone who’s around at strange hours and up to no good
J. Cole is a millionaire many times over, but despite fame and fortune, his neighbors still made him feel like a criminal. His song “Neighbors,” he has said, was inspired by a real-life SWAT raid on his house — the result of nearby North Carolina residents assuming he sold drugs and calling the police. And ever since I moved into North York, a so-called “more established” part of Toronto, I have a newfound appreciation for the track.
After growing up in Scarborough, a somewhat notorious part of the east end of Toronto, I moved to North York smack in the middle of summertime. Since I’m a teacher, the timing was perfect; I didn’t have other obligations and could move in and get settled on my own schedule. But since I’ve been living in this new location, I’ve begun to sense a peculiar vibe from the new neighbors I can’t shake.
In the elevator, my “Good morning” and “What floor?” courtesies have been met with cold responses and no eye contact. When I go downstairs to the condo gym around 10 in the morning — again perfect for my summer-break schedule — I feel subtle, incessant stares. I get part of the curiosity. Condos…
