Mill St. Apartment

The first day I moved into the place on Mill St. a U.S. Marshall asked me if I knew which apartment was number two. Being my first day there I had no idea. As I walked up to my new apartment, on the second floor, I looked back to see two men in body armor serve a forced entry warrant on the neighbors directly below where I would end up living for over three years. I quickly made it to my new apartment and waited as to not get in the way of any armed men. After waiting a few minutes I looked outside my bathroom window and parked in front was a murdered out van and even more officers with "U.S. Marshall" on their backs talking to each other on the sidewalk. An abrupt way to learn about the neighborhood.

Not more than three days later there was a uniformed officer standing outside the neighbor to the right's house. He stood there for a long time and a police car was parked outside for a long time as well. The next day I talked to my new neighbor, Tony and he said that it was a suicide but I never confirmed that so who knows what happened. 

Even with the troubles that come with living in a cheap apartment, run by slum lords, in downtown Springfield, Oregon I miss that place just a little. It had ants once, mice twice and I received 4 tickets for parking on the curb next to it. I had a neighbor who had seizers and was slashed by a knife in the head, by a bum, down at the park nearby. There was a beehive swarming with thousands of bees right outside the back door most of the time and the cops came by a few more times. 

But I am still fond of that apartment. It was the first place I had all to myself. Well, at first I shared it with my girlfriend at the time but it was technically mine. We made a little life there for a while but broke up around a year or so into living there. That's when I found out what it is like to really have my own space. 

I started going on bike rides along a bike path that ran along the beautiful Willamette River which was just a few hundred yards away. I would go on long walks along the river watching the water rush and churn along the banks and think about life. I found a few different swimming spots that I would bike to in the summer. 

The opposite direction of the river was Main Street. There was a market that sold exotic meats like elk, rabbit, and chicken. There was an amazing restaurant where you could get an amazing burger and a great beer. There were great Tai and Mexican places too, and some decent breakfast places; all within walking distance. 

I had a lot of sex in that apartment. I decided to start to act like I cared about myself and my future in that apartment. I changed my outlook more than a few times and had many great conversations in that apartment. I got too high off of a pot cookie and stayed up until 4:30 in the morning pacing around contemplating life in that apartment.

Mill Street was a base camp for adventures in self-discovery and a jumping off point to the new things I am doing now.