I Loves Me Some Compton! (and enchiladas)

At my job once a month I am treated to a splendid day of sending out invoices. I’m not being sarcastic, I love it. I get to waste an entire day folding paper and stuffing envelopes, I don’t need to use my brain whatsoever, I get to let my mind wander guilt-free, and best yet, I can leave NY Times articles open on my computer completely carelessly, because come on, I need something to read while I fold! Everyone in the office thinks it’s terrible that I’m stuck doing invoices so they’re extra nice to me on Invoice Day. And if we’re being completely honest here, folding, stuffing, sealing and stamping ~200 envelopes is the most tangible work I do for this company all month. I mean, what?

Anyway, my favorite part is sending out the invoice to a media company in Compton. As in, Biggie. I think. Hold on, let me see is there’s any “Famous Residents” on Wikipedia. Privileged White Girl needs to do her research. Here we go, from Wikipedia, to ease your mind: “An inner suburb of Los Angeles, Compton has a reputation of one of the most dangerous inner city/suburban areas in the United States.” But alas, no Biggie as famous resident, just DJ Quik, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and, in a fabulous new piece of information, Jazz from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air! Golly, that musta been sooome culture shock for Carleton when he tagged along with Will!

So tickle me pink that my invoice gets sent out to Artesia Boulevard in Compton! It just sounds so regal and suburban, like it should be a street in Beverly Hills. Holding back giggles, I always let my thoughts drift to more appropriate Compton street names: Bullet Road, Premature Death Place, Crackhead Boulevard, and of course, Drive-by Drive. Because I find my small-minded generalizing so goddamn entertaining, it’s not rare to hear me snort a bit whilst I fold and stuff.

God I love Wikipedia. The best thing in this entry is a picture of clean cut white guys in varsity letter cardigans stealing hubcaps in 1954 as an example of “early crime”- this is what makes me laugh at the ‘50s. There was no danger!! “Oooh, gotta have eyes in the back of my head so Swirly Pete from the diner doesn’t follow me home and give me a noogie in the alley behind Woolworths!”As I write this at work, I can only wonder what Jessica is thinking, looking at my computer from her desk and seeing a Wikipedia page open to the local government structure of Compton. Just research for my "Jews of Compton" travel feature...