I would buy a soft pretzel and sit at the top of those stairs and shoot the shit with the bums, prostitutes, and drunks that would use the old El (elevated train) station as a spot to do
whatever they did to get by. I remember one time being offered a blow job for $5 by a whore. I was 14 and considered it for about 3 seconds before realizing I only had 4 minutes left in the game and $3.We called her "Back Alley Sally" and she would walk up and down the Avenue under the trestle with her dog offering jons whatever their fancy might be.
I drove through the old neighborhood tonight by the old El station and what do you know. Sally is still turning tricks. I guess no matter how things change some stay the same.
16 comments:
I would have asked what 3 dollars could get me.
Back alley Sally... that's kind of sad.
Did you check your wallet when you saw her?
great recollection!
it's odd how people grow up...differently...
our neighborhood played hide and seek, but we were in our pasture (of about 3 acres) and had to be weary of moose and badgers. (we always played at night.) i've still, never seen a prostitute trying to turn tricks on the street, and i've never lived where there were pan handlers and homeless.
(i'm meanie's aunt)
We eventually left the streets and started playing in local cemetaries and parks at night. There we would have to avoid racoons and cops.
We used to play in the corn and bean fields next to our house. :)
So was Back Alley Sally everything you remembered?
No she was about 4 teeth lighter and dirtier than ever.
I only saw her for 20 seconds but it was more than enough.
Going back to where you grew up can really be wrenching with the memories sometime. I drove by the one and only house I grew up in and knew for 26 years a couple years ago. Now the love has gone and it looks horrible. All the pride we took in the yard wasted.
What a great story, kow. And really sad that Sally is still there after all these years. It's actually pretty surprising that she's lasted.
There must be a Back Alley Sally in every city. P-)
We useta play in the cornfields where I grew up.
We had a "Back Alley Sally" too...but they called her "Lay Down Sally"....If she's still turnin' tricks...oh I'd be very surprised...she was as old as dirt back then ....nasty.
me pway hid go deek wiff kaywee an wizzy an itz doe fun. Me gezz kid gamz weow awwayz bee kid gamz.
wutz wed, haz 4 weowz an goz bi bi? Itz me maw mawz nu jeep cherokee lorado!
i can't wait to see you, meanie, and play hide and seek with you and lizzy and kaylee. we will hide the eggs for them, too....
I agree with Blue that there's a kind of sadness about this post, but also a whistfullness for days gone by that's all about growing up. Sometimes I wish that we didn't have to do it.
i don't know how i would feel to see that old house, neighborhood and pasture again. lots of mixed feelings and emotions. quite nostalgic.
Did Sally still have the dog? That's all I wanna know...
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