Today I was driving down Monroe Street coming back from the bank and I noticed this old run-down building that used to be this semi-fancy restaurant. I probably pass this building everyday at least 2 or 3 times but never really paid any attention to it. I remember it had rather large fires in it twice back when I was a kid. It made me start thinking and I'm pretty sure this was arson for insurance reasons. I don't know any of this for certain, but it's the only explanation I could think of for one business having two major fires. That's become rather common in this area since people cannot get any value from their homes or businesses and most everyone is out of work so this seems like the only way out without losing everything. Anyways, this happened years ago and what is left is this boarded up building with a rusted out sign and an advertisement that the land is available for lease. I don't know the specifics of the story or what happened, but this lot has been vacant since long before I even left for college in 2001.
Looking back this area was on the decline long before I bothered to notice. Business after business shutting their doors, people packing up and leaving in droves, massive amounts of foreclosures and somehow I'm here. I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the few that want to be here. An exception to the rule I guess. Whenever I go out to a bar, I'm met with the same questions each time I show my Washington state ID card: why the fuck are you here? It's too complicated to explain to a stranger but I always say the same thing: I have no idea. But the truth is, I do know and I don't regret it in the slightest. I anticipate there will be many more buildings that end up like the Colonial House and I anticipate there will be many more hurdles in my life before I feel grounded again and all of that just makes me think that I'm exactly where I belong.
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