Episode lll_The Annoying Middle Class

AMCA

Fishtown is in non-stop culture change mode. Homogenized once meant that the neighborhood was 99 45/100 % white people. That’s where it also ended.

There was a broader base of people’s income levels were everyone understood that there is no shame in earning an honest dollar. The worst was the troublemaker. The rules were straight and simple with lots of room to be flexible.

Fishtown is being inundated with a ton of rules and regulations that foster the better capitalist to cater exclusively to the higher income clientele.

The resulting co-mingling “real Fishtowner’s” and the “new middle class” brings awkward moments of being culturally challenged. (Episode l & ll)

The untold secret is that many of the “new middle-class” began to realize just how annoying they are.

These people put to good use their OCD like drive to organize a self-help group:

Annoying Middle Class Anonymous (AMCA).

Here people can be in a mutually supportive environment to talk about what makes them so annoying.

Let’s listen in.

A: “Hi everyone.” “My name is Andy and I’m annoying.” “I don’t like infused vodka but that’s what my buds drink.” “I even get in the joke when some local doesn’t know what this drinks about.” “So not cool.” “I do other things too.”

S: “I hate my little dog.” “I’m Sean and I annoy myself.” “What do you feed your dog?” “She doesn’t have control of that dog.” “I have my dog trained to sit when I reach the corner.” “It never stops.” “I can’t stop talking this way.” “I hate my cloths too.” “I look Macy.” “Guys try to pick me up when I walk that mutt around the park.”

L: “I got rid of my dog.” (group polite applause) “That was one of my issues also.” “Hi I’m Lyric and I’m still annoying.” “I try to make people look dumb because I can’t get to the point.” “I’m over thinking what I’m saying but not what I want to say.” “I also tell them I’m working on my Master’s.” “Sometimes I don’t know what I like doing when I’m doing it.” “You would think they would get it.”

?: “I’m new here.” (a murmur of welcoming gestures)  “I’m annoying and find you all annoying too.” “That’s why we all came tonight.” “Do you know, I’ll walk home with my finger on speed dial for 911.” “If I don’t do this I might run into someone like me and watch them position their phone because of me.” “They cross the street and then stare at you.” “Do you know how annoying that is?” “This is the safest neighborhood but people like me won’t let it be.” “I know a long-timer who’ll walk for a snack to the gas station two, three in morning.” “It’s like nothing to him.” “People would think I’m nuts if I did that.”

B: “Snacks.” “I can’t let my neighbor’s know that I like Arby’s chicken sandwiches.” “Two for four dollars with the coupon.” “I’m Barry.” “I’m annoying.” “I take my tote with a Thriftway plastic bag.” “I recycle.” “I cover up the Arby’s bag in my tote to help contain the aroma.” “It’s harmless but you know how we can get.”

These are candid thoughts and feelings expressed by and about them. The highest hurdle is when they realize that they didn’t make this neighborhood better, just different.

Lampoonery based upon actual incidents, conversations and composite sketching.

Roman Blazic_all rights reserved